Scorpion Mountain via Johnson Ridge — Thursday, Jul. 3, 2025

FOUND: A trekking pole that looks like it's also a tent pole, so I'm thinking someone might be missing this. We left it at the trailhead - see photo.

This is one of my very favorite hikes. It features a well-maintained trail through Wild Sky forest, 360 degree view of near and distant Cascades all the way from Mt. Rainier to Glacier Peak, and a viewpoint surrounded by a meadow of wildflowers. It's simply breathtaking. Granted the road to the trailhead is long, steep, and bumpy (though I think any car could do it if they take it slow), and the trail is quite a bit of up and down, but it's all well worth it to me. The only obstacle in the trail is a very long large tree that's pretty easy to walk across - see photo. There are a couple very small patches of snow if you're desperate for water (there's no water other than that unless you go down to Joan Lake, which we didn't do this time but a few years ago I did it and enjoyed a swim though it was pretty buggy). The bugs were an annoyance and seemed to be better when we sat on a snow patch. I recommend long sleeves and pants and/or bug repellant. I was grateful to have trekking poles on the steep ascents and descents. The ground was so soft on much of the trail my son hiked shoeless.