18.5 miles of hiking • 3500' elevation gain •
Extended the usual trip, after a quick tour of the lakes, up to the perfect lunch-with-a-view spot atop Park Ridge. It was a hot day, hotter than we had expected to be sure. There's one patch of snow on Park Butte that still offered a running stream down across the PCT on our way up.
The Park is almost entirely devoid of wildflowers now, other than some few spots of gentians and a dozen or so paintbrush sprouts. All the little tarns are dried up. Rock Lake is nearly half gone, too. On the other hand, both Scott and Bays lake were glorious!
On the way back down the ridge, we took a quick wade into Russell Lake, which helped combat the heat immensely. Then it was on to Scott Lake for full immersion therapy. The water was probably 70° and oh so luxurious! Spent a bit of time talking to a sobo thru, before taking one last lingering loop around Bays Lake.
Oh, ran into Kyle Meyer on the way up the Whitewater trail, too! :-)
Just another incredible day in the mountains!
Comments
Karl
August 3, 2015
Bays is my absolute favorite, yes! Had an incredible lunch there, in February, when it was frozen solid. Even with all the people up there, we had a prime "beach" on the north shore of Scott Lake to luxuriate on late in the afternoon. The water was indescribably refreshing!
Woodswalker
August 3, 2015
I loved Bays Lake! Great photos as usual Karl. Its a popular spot for sure, I met pdxgene and Marianne up there.