Ladies in the Mountains

 

 

So so hard not to put every photo we took of this hike on here, editing them made me sad. The whole hike was stunning & the visibility was divine. We took the girls to Hidden Lake trail which we had done a few years ago with a bunch of friends, except this time the trail didn't include snow crossings. They kicked butt up this hike, it started off in full sun up steep switchbacks through an overgrown meadow of purple flowers & annoying bugs.

 

 

we found Whitney a tiny patch of snow

But then everything opens up and you get a stunning view back down the valley we just hiked up and you can see Mt. Baker looming over you. As we continued to hike Mt. Baker gets bigger & feels more imposing. Slowly more mountains peak out from behind as we climb upward and eventually the view is layered with mountains beyond mountains and more.

 

 

 Finally, end in sight, Hidden lake popped out in a deep crystal blue that tempted me to run to it, except I knew I'd have to hike my tired butt back up that hill if I did. Finished off the hike with a steep incline up rocks and eventually a short scramble erupting in uninterrupted 360 views  of peaks. I love seeing the snowline evenly along all the mountains as their tops then jut up unevenly toward the fluffy clouds.

We had a fabulous, a little tired, day exploring. So special to get to share these places with people we love! Then we went back to Seattle to carb load and sink into sleep!