An early start (6:40 Kirkland, 9 on the trail) paid off today as we beat the mid-day clouds piling up in the sky. Finding few ripe berries to munch at the beginning, we made good time to the river crossing. The first channel is dry; the second has a I-Beam bridge with rails. The flow looked low enough to cross without a bridge, but on the return the water was muddy, fast and twice the flow.
Switchbacking up to the meadows, there were few flowers. In the meadow itself, some lupine, lots of Partridge Foot and heather. We thought we were perhaps a couple of weeks too late for the good flowers; the ranger said they were just starting.
We traipsed up to the lookout, first time I haven't had to cross a snowpatch on the way. During lunch we watched descending climbers as well as the cloud build up. Damp backs, sun behind clouds and a good wind made a warm fleece vest a lunch time necessity, though the sun was hot when out from behind clouds.
Another good day in the mountains.
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