Skyline Divide — Saturday, Jul. 20, 2002

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

Last week we tried skiing here, which was a bit silly, though we did get a few short runs in. Given the great weather we opted for a re-match, this time with hiking boots. There were a lot more cars this week, though it seems that nearly everyone stops at the first viewpoint, so the hike out the Divide was quite peaceful. The views get better and better along the ridge, and the trail's twists and turns serve up many great views during the hike. There is plenty of lingering snow, but we found that our ice axes just added a little unnecessary ""training weight"" as there were no exposed traverses or anything like that. The flies are busy enjoying the view along with the few hikers who wander out the ridge. There are glacier lillies everywhere, the heather is blooming, and the lupine is starting to come out. We followed the Divide to the southern high point, and then turned left for a short bit along the ridge that continues toward Baker. We found fields of red paintbrush where this ridge starts to drop down to an alpine meadow area just before Chowder Ridge. WOW!