Summit Lake — Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2023

The road was rough and felt veeerrry long, but we made it. Subaru outback - no problems just took it slow. Arrived a little after 9 am on a Tuesday with probably 6 or 7 cars in the lot.

The trail was delightful! Lots of soft forest duff (some rocky, rooty bits but mostly soft). The meadows were popping. Paintbrush, bear grass, bracted lousewort, lupine, avalanch lilies, and more. Surprisingly, the bugs weren't too bad! I usually get eaten and I think I escaped without any bites.

Make sure to head up to the right and above the lake for the best views of Bearhead mountain and Rainier/Tahoma! Amazing! We were super lucky for such a clear day. There was an inversion for the first part of the hike, but by the time we reached the views it had all dissipated. Absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't too warm of a day, but my hiking partner couldn't resist a dip. I will definitely be back!

There were over 20 cars in the lot as we left. Going earlyish paid off.