Surprise Mountain Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 9:37 pm
For my last weekend in Seattle, I went with a group of (mostly) Christian friends up to Surprise Mountain. It was about a fourteen-mile hike in the Cascades, passing two lakes – Lake Surprise and Glacier Lake. We made pretty decent time getting up to the top, where our resident Mountain Man brought out a watermelon, cutting board and knife, and thermos of ice cream (I am not kidding, and no one is certain of what all he carries in his pack) and we all partook in the feast. And it was very good. On the way back down, we took a dip in Surprise Lake, having brought our swimsuits. The water was cold and I was not persuaded to do anything more than duck my head under, but one brave (insane?) person swam all the way out to the other shore and back, and several others made short jaunts out into the water.
All in all, it was an excellent note to end on. It ended up being the longest hike I went on all summer, though not the most strenuous (that title would belong to Mt St Helens). I have missed the folks I spent a goodly number of my weekends (and Thursdays) with, but I am also readjusting to the college town, and its environs and people. Here’s a few glimpses from Surprise Mountain.
The rolling hills of the Cascades, looking north from Surprise Mountain off toward Glacier Peak, one of five volcanos in Washington state. Yes, it’s dormant. (HDR)
Panorama stretching from northwest to east from the top of Surprise Mountain.
Looking south from the summit across the meadow. (HDR)
I was very proud to have carried my tripod, along with everything else, all the way up to the top.
A look at a piece of meadow at the summit. It was so nicely shaded until the scramble, and then it was all rocks and wildflowers, with few trees. It was in the 80s that day, too, so we appreciated the cover when we had it.
Looking east from the summit. There was a wildfire. I don’t remember the name of the big mountain in the upper-right, except that one of its less-popular names was ‘Granite Mountain’ – and half the other mountains in the Cascades share the same nickname. (HDR)
Looking east again. (HDR)
Glacier Lake in the foreground, Surprise Lake behind that, and away off in the distance, Glacier Peak. (HDR)
Great pictures! I’m a born and raised Western Washingtonian, and have done my fair share of hiking, though on hiatus from that for now due to some family health stuff. Your pictures bring back good memories. Glacier Peak is quite a beautiful mountain, but is truly a hidden treasure.
Peace