Short hike with the kids to Dege Peak for lunch. Beautiful day.

Our son wanted to reach a peak so we headed out on this trail. Id heard the wildflowers were in bloom but having just done the Tipsoo Lake Naches Loop trail I was a bit disappointed. There are some and they are pretty for sure but not spectacular. It did look as if more will open very soon. The trail is in good condition but very very dusty due to the extreme dryness and heat. Many have spoken of goat and bear sightings but sadly we didn't see any. There was some poo on the trail though so I know they are close to be alert. Wonderful views all around and several pullouts along the way to stop and enjoy the views. The last push to the top felt relentless in the heat but nothing too hard. The bugs along the trail were irritating at times but at the top they were so bad we only stayed about 10 minutes before heading down. Bug spray was a must have although it doesn't seem to deter the large horseflies. Great hike to warm up the legs and fun challenge for kids with fantastic views.

Dege Peak was a fantastic choice for a hike today. The views of Rainier were fantastic, especially on the return from the top. The trail was in great shape, and not too hard. We did see lots of elk tracks, and saw some Mountain goats at the bottom of the ridge. The highlight of the hike came at about mile 1, when I rounded a corner and came very close to a momma black bear and her cub. It took a second to sink in, but we quickly turned around and gave them some space. After they passed through, we continued on. Be cautious of this if you decide to hike this trail. At the top of Dege Peak, the bugs were awful, so pack your bug spray if you are tasty to them. I look forward to doing this hike again!

We began our hike from Sunrise Point, gaining 900 feet in 1.5 miles. This is a beautiful ridge walk with views of Mt Rainier, the Goat Rocks and Mt Adams. The 360 degree view from the top was spectacular even though Mt Rainier was partially covered in clouds by the time we reached the top! We saw our first pine grosbeak near the TH in the same area on our ascent to the peak and on our return. A mountain goat and marmot were seen when we were at the top. We saw only 4 other couples and enjoyed visiting with a younger couple while we were enjoying the views from the peak!

After my hike to Glacier Basin, I drove up to Sunrise to see how things were looking. The road just opened today. As expected, there is ALMOST NO SNOW. I approached Dege Peak from the Sunrise Point side. The Sourdough Ridge trail is entirely snow-free, and there is just a little on the Dege Peak trail. It will probably be gone by the end of the weekend. From Sunrise, there is the "usual" snow patch about halfway up the trail from the parking lot to the Sourdough/Frozen Lake junctions. Again, it will be gone by the end of the weekend. Restrooms are open, but the visitors center won't open for another few weeks.