Park Butte — Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

Who could sit still and overeat at home with weather like this! Decided to spend a couple of nights in conditions that felt more like June. During the ascent I could feel the transition from cold to warm due to the temperature inversion. Temps ranged from 8 to 12 degrees C, shorts, sunblock, and t-shirt during the day. About a foot of snow at 5400' but bare patches in places. Snowshoes were helpful for both the soft snow on the south facing slopes and the frozen north faces. A trio from Portland shared their turkey feast on Thanksgiving, splendid company. Look for bright Venus and Mars in the morning sky.