Keep Cool Trail

Partly shady and sunny, steep trail

We do this hike once a year, sometimes more than once. Where we climb to is not long, but it's the original way to get to the top of Yellow Aster Butte. Now it's an unmaintained, rarely used, brushy trail that takes the hiker to great views and a good way to get to the top of the butte (we only went to a nice viewpoint, then turned around and returned). Nine Trailblazers gathered today to do this hike, some who had never done it before and wanted to see what it was like, and the rest of us who knew we'd have a good workout, at the very least.

Our first meeting with snow

After making our way through the brush, fighting mosquitos and other pests, we met the first snow after a couple of miles. It was spotty, only in the places where there was shade or sites where the intense sunshine didn't reach. We went up, up, up, and finally reached the meadow that would lead even more upwards.

Crossing the snow to the meadow

Most of the meadow, after we crossed these parts, was mostly clear of snow. By the time we reached it, and we picked our way across places like this as well as places like we saw below, there were beautiful streams free of snow and filled with heather and marsh marigolds.

Stream and heather

Is this beautiful or what? We knew that from this place we would begin to climb again, so we could have views of many of the nearby mountains, and we were right. By the time we reached our lunch spot, around 12:30pm, this is the view we enjoyed.

Mt. Shuksan from our lunch spot

Ahhh. And not only that, after a mere three miles from the beginning, we had lunch at a spot above 5,000 feet elevation, with sun and a nice breeze. Here's a picture of our brand-new Trailblazer, joining us for the first time today.

Paula snoozing after having a nice lunch

After a leisurely lunch, we reluctantly gathered up our gear and started our way back down the way we had come. It was about six miles or so round tril, with a fair amount of elevation gain and loss (over 2,000 feet). We finally reached the cars around 4:30pm, to begin our drive back home.

Sue and Mel starting down the trail

It was a very good day, with lots of sunshine and beautiful views, mixed with a few bugs and lots of downed trees and logs to clamber across and around. But it was nowhere near as hard or as long as our Monday hike, which was just fine with me. And now I'm home and enjoying my you-know-what (my wine).
:-)