The Ptarmigan Ridge trail heading into forboding skies
This photo is from my second day of the 2009 "This Sure Beats Working" tour, taken in late August 2009. This was a very unfortunate day on several counts. The forecast was for cloudy skies in the morning, burning off by early afternoon. My intent was to hike to the Chain Lake Loops. Somehow I started off correctly but missed the turnoff for the Chain Lakes and ended up going to Ptarmigan Ridge - a longer hike with more elevation gain. After two hours I was getting concerned since I didn't see any lakes and the weather was getting much worse. I ran into a couple coming from the opposite direction and they told me I was only a few minutes from Ptarmigan Ridge, so I went on. About that time the wind picked up and the fog thickened, so it was almost whiteout conditions. I never did see Mt. Baker, even though it was very close. I talked to other hikers and they told me the view from here on a clear day was incredible - so I will have to come back to this trail. On the return I went to a little lake - not sure of the name, and then ended up at Picture Lake. All in all an interesting day, but not with the outcome I wanted.
The Ptarmigan Ridge trail heading into forboding skies
This photo is from my second day of the 2009 "This Sure Beats Working" tour, taken in late August 2009. This was a very unfortunate day on several counts. The forecast was for cloudy skies in the morning, burning off by early afternoon. My intent was to hike to the Chain Lake Loops. Somehow I started off correctly but missed the turnoff for the Chain Lakes and ended up going to Ptarmigan Ridge - a longer hike with more elevation gain. After two hours I was getting concerned since I didn't see any lakes and the weather was getting much worse. I ran into a couple coming from the opposite direction and they told me I was only a few minutes from Ptarmigan Ridge, so I went on. About that time the wind picked up and the fog thickened, so it was almost whiteout conditions. I never did see Mt. Baker, even though it was very close. I talked to other hikers and they told me the view from here on a clear day was incredible - so I will have to come back to this trail. On the return I went to a little lake - not sure of the name, and then ended up at Picture Lake. All in all an interesting day, but not with the outcome I wanted.