Burroughs Mountain

To celebrate Karen's birthday, we went hiking at Mt Rainier National Park. Specifically, we went to Burroughs Mountain in the Sunrise area. We'd delayed the trip a few days to avoid unstable weather, but, despite clear skies and perfect temps, a bit of wildfire smoke had returned. It affected the views, but only caused us minor lung aggravation. Even with the smoke, the hike was a delight ... the mountain looming almost impossibly large. It's a pretty interesting area ... almost all above treeline with broad slopes and very fragile plant life. With the hot, dry summer we've had, the flora had almost no color, giving the landscape a pretty barren look.

Tom made it to 3rd Burroughs, and its awe-inspiring views of the Winthrop Glacier. Karen was hesitant to push her knees too hard, and stopped a bit short of the summit. She had also forgotten her hiking poles, but made do with a hiking stick she picked up along the way! On her hike back, she spent a little while watching a mother bear and her cub wander down through a meadow. Quite special!