Summerland - Panhandle Gap — Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023

My son and I headed to Tahoma to sneak in a last trip before the snow really arrives. We’d planned on Meany Crest, but arriving at Summerland found that trail marked with a Meadow Stomper sign. We decided to continue up the Wonderland to Panhandle Gap instead.

The trail is in good shape except the bridge over the outlet from the tarns has been removed for the season and snow began at the tarns. It’s mostly possible to stay on trail, but the snow led to some wrong turns when it got deeper. Thankfully, we were guided by some big carnivore’s tracks so we quickly got back to the trail.

Although the sky was clear when we started around 6a a storm had been approaching all morning. At Panhandle Gap the wind was blowing hard and the clouds shifted from lenticulars against a blue sky to dark menacing clouds. It was a great reminder of just how quickly things can change on the Mountain.

We were back at Summerland before the rain started and to the trailhead before we needed jackets.

We saw goats on the appropriately named Goat Island Mountain, pika above Summerland, and the tracks. We were also collecting scat for the Cascades Carnivore Project so we know there were other animals around even if we didn’t see them.