Burnt Mountain — Thursday, Sep. 1, 2022

The road to Ironstone Mountain trailhead is well-signed, with some wash-boarding, but easily negotiated with appropriate speed. There were a few trees across the trail which were easily stepped over or gotten around. The temperature was projected to be around 90 degrees in Yakima but we had a nice mountain breeze that kept it in the 70s for our 10 o'clock start. The trail meanders up and down along the ridge until the final climb up to the peak (remember not to take the Burnt Mountain Trail when it branches off). The biggest surprise was the profusion of wildflowers near the top on this September day. There were clusters of orange-yellow sulfur buckwheat, yellow rabbitbush goldenweed and violet mountain coyote mint, the latter especially loved by the myriad butterflies. We saw as many as seven butterflies on one clump of mountain mint! The views were a little hazy due to wildfires in eastern Washington but Mt. Adams, Goat Rocks and Mt. Rainier were easily seen on this sunny day.