It was a beautiful day to be out in the North Cascades. Mount Baker was making some cameo appearances amongst the clouds and the weather was just right (ie: warm, but not warm enough to make hiking on snowfields miserable). We were not surprised to encounter as much snow as we did, but even with crampons and poles/ice axes, the trail conditions were a little sketchy. Snowshoes would have helped in parts of the trail as there was a lot of postholing, including some rather troubling deep moulin like depressions (especially just over the ridge when you first encounter snow around two miles in).
Charlie on the mountain.
We got a late start on the day and weren't planning on camping overnight, so making the lookout today wasn't in the cards with the amount of snow slogging the day called for. We will certainly return to do the last leg when it has thawed out though as it is an absolutely stunning hike with some great panorama views. Not the greatest conditions at the moment, with postholing and the snow making the trail scarce at times, but all and all, still a great hike.
The seemingly unobtainable lookout on a sharp crag.
Storms on the horizon.
That time the mountain tried to eat Parker.
Recommended reading for the trail: Day Hiking North Cascades
Soundtrack for the trail: The Bridge of Khazad Dum
Original post on WTA