Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap, Crystal Lakes — Monday, Jul. 7, 2025

My hiking group had a great hike on the PCT to Sourdough Gap and over the ridge to Crystal Lakes overlook today.  The parking area was filling up and we snagged the last 3 official stalls.  It was sunny skies and 63 degrees, with a forecast 82 degrees high.  We followed the advice from recent trip reports and stopped at the Tipsoo Lake parking area to use the restrooms.  They were clean, and stocked with TP and hand sanitizer.  Two of the Vault toilets at the Chinook Pass TH are now open, the other 2 still locked. They had litter all over the floor and animal waste bags on the ground outside the door! 😬 The entire trail is dry and dusty, except 2 small snow patches to cross. Wildflowers were popping up the entire route and some were starting to fade.  Now is the time to hike for a wildflower bonanza - we saw anemone, avalanche lily, glacier lily, valerian, bluebells, phlox, paint brush, penstemon, cinquefoil, cusick speedwell, louse wort, wall flower, buckwheat, soapwort, violets, lupine and heather.  It was a 4 volcano day - with sightings of Mt Adams, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier along our route.  Wildlife was allusive today except a couple camp robbers, bugs on the other hand were ready to pounce on you anytime you stopped for a few minutes.   Everyone had on bug repellent or clothes treated with promethean and mosquitoes and gnats were still hovering.  The beauty of the sub Alpine experience outweighed pesky bugs in my book. Trail traffic was moderate.  We passed a few groups heading back from Sheep Lake early morning, then some SOBO PCT section hikers heading south. At the PCT junction with the side trail leading down to Crystal Lakes hikers seemed to be going in both directions.  Some in my group extended their hike with a walk thru down to Hwy 410 Crystal Lakes TH and other made a loop of upper Crystal Lake and retraced their steps back to Chinook Pass Th.  So our outing had challenge for anyone wanting a longer or shorter elevation hike. One of our members took a total plunge in Upper Crystal Lake and reported it was cold indeed!   It was 84 when we walked back to our cars so quite toasty.  Another fantastic day out in nature with friends!