Did not hike these, but wanted to give everyone a heads up that as of today the Sunrise Road (from White River campgrounds to Sunrise) is closed.  It's that time of year again.  More road closings to follow soon - link below to the MORA road conditions website.

Now is a great time to visit Sunrise, but be prepared—there are no open facilities. The water is turned off, and bathrooms are closed except for one pit toilet, which had a really long line. Make sure to bring all the water you need, plus extra.

The fall colors are absolutely stunning and currently peaking.

On the Burroughs Mountain Trail, there is some ice in the shaded areas, but no spikes are necessary. The highlight of the trip was reaching the Third Burroughs and taking in the view of Winthrop Glacier. Take a moment to sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the glacier—it’s an unforgettable experience.

Fremont Lookout is boarded up for the season, but the views were spectacular on a clear day. You could see Mount Baker and the North Cascades in the distance.

Wildlife sightings included one bear and a large group of mountain goats. Unfortunately, many people were getting too close to the bear, with a group of about 20 gathering around it. Please respect wildlife and maintain a safe distance to protect both the animals and yourself.

On my way up to Sunrise yesterday, I asked the Ranger at the park entrance when the road would be closing and he said … today (Oct 8). Indeed, the Park website indicates Sunrise Road is now closed for the season.

https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm#CP_JUMP_461765

First time at Sunrise, I did a loop (sourdough ridge-north Burroughs mountain-sunrise rim trails) per the nice park ranger’s recommendation and it was awesome! A few notes:
- Got to the visitor center around 10:15 AM and found plenty of parking spots.
- The public restroom building at the visitor center is closed for the season. There are two pit toilets available but the line can get pretty long at times; I waited about 20 minutes at 10:20 AM.
- There was snow on the trail going up to frozen lake, the first Burroughs, and the second Burroughs. On some parts of the trail I had to be pretty careful.
- Didn’t see any wildlife myself, unfortunately, but heard from a hiker in passing that a bear was spotted near the ridge line.