Skyscraper Pass, Skyscraper Mountain — Sunday, Sep. 22, 2024

Bottom Line:

Bears, goats, marmots, pika and foxes... oh my! An early fall hike (the 1st day of fall no less!) from Sunrise to Frozen Lake, and then on to Skyscraper Pass following the Wonderland Trail above Berkeley Park, and finally up Skyscraper Mountain. Skyscraper was clear for the first time in a 1/2-dozen hikes - FINALLY! The views from this perch are amazing, especially of Winthrop and Carbon glaciers, and the Burroughs. The highlight of the day was the cloud and lighting conditions - probably the most beautiful sky I have seen at the mountain, with a lenticular "mushroom cap" over the peak, and baby lenticular spawns forming to the east of the mountain. Stunning! Up-and-down meadow hiking with amazing views of The Mountain end-to-end - what is not to love? :)

Stats:

• Distance: ~9 miles
• Vertical: 2000 ft (exactly - weird!)
• Duration: 4-3/4 hours
• Road/Parking: Sunrise parking was busy, but there were available spots when we arrived ~1pm. There is a gate just off Hwy 410 onto Sunrise Rd where a National Park pass is required. No wait. Toilets at Sunrise, but the lodge is closed for the season. Paved - no dirt road travel. Lots of rangers about helping folks with directions, enforcing "no dog" rules on the trails, etc. NOTE: ~1/2 of the parking at the Summerland trailhead is closed for road work.
• Weather: Unless my Skyline hike out of Paradise a few days ago, where we had to climb to 8500' to get about the fog, today the mountain was mostly clear! High cloud, with AMAZING lenticular cloud formations over and next to the mountain, and ethereal lighting conditions around the mountain. Much more spectacular than a blue-bird day. It got cloudier in the late afternoon with these formations breaking up as sunset approached (see pics, video). Light wind, to strong cold gusts nearing sunset - it was going to be a cool one at Fremont Lookout for the usual crowd heading up! 60s to start, with 40s in the late afternoon as the wind picked up.
• Water: There is no water on this trail, apart from Frozen Lake which cannot be accessed (local water supply). Carry water.
• Flora/Fauna: Many marmots from Frozen Lake to Skyscraper Pass. Pika as well, but they were quiet on the way out, and then vocal on the way back, until 3 hawks arrived, and then they were quiet again! Bear in the rocky meadows on the steep slopes below the 1st Burrough Trail. Goats in Berkeley Park, and along Sourdough, near Sunrise. Black fox on Sourdough. Rangers are helpful in pointing out known wildlife sightings! Most of the flowers are done, but sightings included: explorer's gentian, pearly everlasting (by far the most common flower remaining), a single lupine plant hanging on, and some aster. The yellow/gold grasses on the ascent to Skyscraper Pass are beautiful. There is a little bit of fall red and orange in Berkeley Park, and the east slopes of Skyscraper Mountain. Grand Park from Skyscraper summit looked mostly brown.
• Trail: The trail is in excellent condition - no mud, obstructions or dust (the latter due to recent rain). We took Sourdough to Frozen Lake (first time I have seen it with no snowbank) and then Wonderland to Skyscraper Pass, and finally up to Skyscraper summit (in another first - no fog!!). The only parts of the trail with sustained vertical are the final ascent to the pass, and then of course the steep switchbacks up to the summit. But the views from the summit are heavenly - so worth it! Fremont has nothing on this view. The trail across upper Berkeley Park hugs the backside of 1st Burrough, and there are excellent views of 1st/2nd & 3rd Burroughs as one ascends to the pass. From the pass and summit, views open up of the entire Winthrop and upper Carbon (the pile at the base of Willis Wall) glaciers. Also, great views across to Spray Park, and Echo/Observation Rocks. There is fresh snow on Rainier and Little Tahoma, notably Willis Wall. This side of the mountain was darker, with the amazing lighting of the early afternoon mainly on the northeast slopes. The sun is setting over the mountain much earlier now (~5-6 pm depending on location).
• Takeaway: I dropped over from Paradise in the morning, and was concerned about the increasing high cloud, but it turned out that it created ideal cloud formations and lighting - probably the best I have seen! This route is mostly moderate up-and-down meadow hiking with constant views of Rainier - I love this hike when I want to explore without working too hard!

I will post a video of this hike later today.

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.instagram.com/wta_alpinewanderer/