I slept in so I could get breakfast at the cafe before hitching a ride to the trailhead.
I and two other hikers were picked up by a woman from CA who has been coming up here to pick Huckleberries every year since she was a little girl.
Today’s hike will take me up to the shoulder of Mt Adams and then around to the north end and back down.
On the hike up to shoulder, I found a large lava boulder which appears to have grooves cut into if from glacial activity
I’m hiking in an area that burned a few years ago and is growing back. The good part of this is the lack of forest allowing a cool breeze to blow through.
Soon I had a spectacular view of Mt Adams
More signs of glacial activity: many streams are milky white from crushed stone.
Come join me on a walk as I climb up the shoulder to Mt Adams
The Lupine and Indian Paintbrush are abundant here
As I pass the west side of Mt Adams, I can see a huge glacier.
The melt runoff from that glacier forms Adams Creek which I need to cross. I was a bit nervous about this crossing on the logs, but it was the best place. The biggest concern was the middle section where the logs are submerged.
I made it across, with two wet feet and dry everything else. Yay! Here’s a shot looking back.
As I pass to the west of Mt Adams I am still enjoying the high elevation views and wildflowers
A thunderstorm was brewing to the south of me, and it started booming as I approached my camp spot. I guess I’ll be putting the rain fly on the tent tonight.
Just before I got to camp I spotted a Fisher, the largest member of the weasel family, scampering up the trail towards me. We both stopped and checked each other out. I was able to get a photo of him/her running away. He/she was about the size of a very large cat, but longer and with a bushy tail. So cool! I’ve never seen them in the wild before.
The campsite I selected is a rather popular one: there are at least ten people camping here tonight. I was hoping it might rain and dive people into their tents, but the storm never appeared and I had to sleep with earplugs.
I heard an unusual and loud call last night, kind of wood furniture being scraped across the floor. I wonder if that is the mating call of a Fisher?
Thanks for reading!
Dale's Pacific Crest Trail hike -- 2019 