I figured the steady weekend rain would clear the air, but I was wrong. It didn’t. In fact, the smoke thickened so much that I couldn’t even see the I-90 corridor from anywhere along the trail. The famous bird’s-eye view of Snow Lake from the summit—the crown jewel of this hike—became a sea of heavy smoke.
Still, the hike wasn’t without highlights. About 1.3 miles in, right at the edge of the tree line, I ran into an adult black bear. It was maybe 30 yards away, happily munching on berries. We had a brief standoff: I shouted and waved my arms, but the bear barely acknowledged me and kept eating. Eventually, though, it wandered off downhill, leaving me the trail.
It took me 2 hours and 50 minutes to reach the summit. I had a helmet in my pack but didn’t bother to wear it—no one else was on that rocky trail, and it didn’t seem worth the trouble.
One final note: the pay station at the trailhead parking lot was “Not in Service”. I didn’t mind paying the $5, but since it wasn’t possible, I suppose I owe them one for next time.
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