The weather was clear and warm as I started up the trail that would take me through Panhandle Gap, a saddle between two rocky rises, and the highest point along the Wonderland Trail. I crossed steep snowfields, and one exposed area had my full attention as I picked my way across it, but I reached the other side without mishap. Views of distant mountains were breathtaking. Beyond the gap, numerous switchbacks led steeply downward to Indian Bar.
As the weather warms, melting snowfields flow into waterfalls, some hundreds of feet high, and make way for knee-deep wildflower displays. The first to appear, avalanche lilies, poke up through the snow as it melts. Other early blooming flowers, such as marsh marigold, rocket-shaped Jeffrey’s shooting stars, scarlet paintbrush, and lupine, in shades of blue and purple, soon follow. By the time the wildflower bloom is at its showy best, the varieties are seemingly endless.
The historic lookout is a few steps above the rocky nose of the ridge. You’ll want to check it out, but the views are about as good from ground level. Look at Mt. Rainier. Look at the dramatic, treeless rolls of the three Burroughs. Look at the golf-course flat, inviting green expanse of Grand Park. Daydream about an overnight deeper into the Park.
Each week we feature photos from our contributors at SBM. This week we feature Pacific Northwest National Parks by Orion Ahrensfeld.
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