Burroughs Mountain — Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2008

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River

Hiked to Frozen Lake, up the Burroughs Mountain Trail to the middle Burroughs, and then on to the farthest Burroughs and glacier views. Blooming flowers are rampant in the meadows along the road just before Sunrise, and colors line the shoulder of the road from below Sunrise Point all the way to Sunrise Lodge. The most surprising flower show was atop Burroughs - the middle peak had some blooms but the farthest summit showed what a tundra in bloom can look like. I bypassed the Sunrise Rim Trail that led up the nearest Burroughs Mtn because of posted warnings of deep snow on a steep incline; previous hikers say it's safe enough if you have poles or ice axe but I carried neither. There was one small snow patch on the way up the middle Burroughs en route to the stone shelter, and there were a few minor patches halfway up the farthest Burroughs with one major and steep patch near the summit of the third Burroughs. The major snow patch is not dangerous, just tedious to ascend - but oh so sweet to glissade down. Left Sunrise at 7:20 AM and saw no one until I was on my way back down. As left the summit of the third Burroughs, five hikers hurried up to claim my spot. Then except for a lone hiker at the stone shelter I saw no one else until I was back at Frozen Lake where there was trail traffic congestion. I have never seen so many bus-loads and van-loads of hikers on Sunrise trails on a weekday. With the flower showings and the clear sunny weather the congested rush to Sunrise was well understood.