Bluebird day on the mountain. Had a 30 minute wait getting into the park around 9AM. Line was 2 miles long when we left in the afternoon! We hiked from Narada Falls up to Paradise then took the Golden Gate trail up to Skyline. Then over to the Lakes trail and down to Reflection Lakes. From there we took the Wonderland trail back to Narada Falls. A nice little loop. We prefer to do this loop clockwise as it gets the majority of the climbing done first. As expected, Paradise was a zoo overflowing with people. Skyline trail was jammed pack. We found periods of solitude on the Lakes trail which was nice. A few snow patches on the Skyline trail and while slippery, they didn't provide too troublesome. Other trails were in pretty good condition if not a little dusty. No bears today but we saw several marmots, deer, and grouse along our journey today. Flowers may not be at peak but were plentiful. Note that the regular restrooms are closed at Narada Falls but port-a-potties are available. Some bugs out but they weren't too bad -- the breezes helped keep them manageable.

It's a very below average year for the mid-season, subalpine wildflowers in the Paradise area. The excessive heat (I'm guessing) greatly reduced the lupine blooms and to a lesser degree the arnica, the bracted, Rainier, and bird's beak louseworts, and others I'm guessing. Picture 2 shows a large group of lupine plants on the Moraine trail that have paltry or no blooms (in my many years of hiking this trail I have never seen this, this trail is somewhat sheltered and gets well-watered). With that said, there are still many beautiful flowers and some areas of thick displays. If you have been here before, don't come with huge expectations. I enjoyed the flowers on these trails the most: lower golden gate (and the very top), Paradise Glacier, upper Mazama Ridge (picture 4 is one of the best spots), Alta Vista bypass, and lower Deadhorse Creek (much of this is newly melted and it might improve). 

The late season flowers might be better, there are lots of cascade aster plants that look to be healthy and are starting to bud.  

We did a there and back trek up Golden Gate with the mountain socked in. We heard from a few people that the elevation gain was tough. On paper, it sounds like a nice quick trip, but it can be challenging. Trekking poles help. Most days you can see a marmot or two lounging on a few favorite rocks. Not today. The paintbrush is the star of the show, but the lupine is on its way. It's still just a small percentage of its usual glory. There are a lot of unofficial trails that have sprouted due to the long lasting snow. Golden Gate has one small patch of easy to traverse snow. If you're wondering if it's worth it to go up to the mountain when the mountain is feeling shy, YES. I love Paradise hikes (not in the driving snow or rain), but all the other weather YES. Pack for cold wind if the sun is not out. The top of Golden Gate can be blustery. Happy trekking!

I hadn't planned to hit Paradise, too much snow, but the mountain truly was calling. I arrived at the Jackson Visitor Center at 7:45 on a beautiful Saturday morning. There was still parking in the main lot and a lot of parking in the back up lot. After talking to a ranger I chose the Edith Creek Basin Route. That early, it was still icy. I donned my spikes on my trailrunners and baskets on my poles. I followed the orange poles to the bridge over Myrtle Falls. The falls lookout is not accessible right now and the trail to the bridge is steep and slippery (this is the preferred route for visitors). Once the poles ended, I shifted left to the Golden Gate trail. I've been on it so many times, but never on the snow. I saw a couple marmots. I could see the Alta Vista waterfall and hear a lot of water running under the snow. I steered clear of the valley. I made it half way up Golden Gate before I turned around. The sun was blazing and the steep slopes whispered threats of avalanches (along with the ranger who did not whisper the threat). In the short time it took to make it a mile and a half, the snow was already super slushy. I was sliding and sinking in. The views were outstanding. The mountain was wagging its tail and totally showing off this morning. I said a big thank you and happily got off the snow. In the patches of melted snow, wildflowers are starting to bloom. I'll try again in a couple weeks. For now, it's not super fun on that kind of snow at this time of year. Stay safe, bring poles and the right gear.