Mt. Pilchuck

Wet and Rocky

The first rays of light in the morning revealed a thick blanket of fog covering the entire valley.  Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew Mt. Pilchuck was still sitting on the edge of the Cascade mountains, right where I’d left it the night before.  I was expecting partly cloudy skies once I got up into the foothills, so I drove off into the misty gray morning.

Mt. Pilchuck is a popular hike so even with my early start I wasn’t the first hiker to the trailhead that morning.

Thanks Jimmy Cliff for letting me use your version of “Many Rivers To Cross” as the background music.

Rock carins mark the trail

Pilchuck Lookout

Molly and her crew of nurses

Shortly after I arrived at the lookout a group of girls scrambled up behind me.  Initially I was slightly disappointed because I knew their giggling and laughter would be bleeding over into the audio of my video.  But within a minute Molly (purple shirt) and I were sharing my coffee, and she’d explained that they were all nurses from Swedish Hospital.  They were full of energy and total daredevils.  And of course I realized that there has never been a video made that couldn’t be improved with the smiling faces of pretty girls, so I got over my disappointment in a flash.

The view from the top

On the catwalk

So after a nice little lunch break on the top I started my descent back down through the rocks.  I gotta say it is always easier to climb up than it is to scramble down, but I extended my trekking poles and picked my way carefully down the boulder covered pathway.

Thanks for following along.  Kat