Headed for the Mountains
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Interest: Hiking (obviously), snowshoeing, backpacking
Posts: 290
Mount Outram July 29, 2017
Wow, what a view from the top! It's definitely a long one, so we were glad we started early to have lots of times for breaks. Wildflowers were amazing; tons of lupines, paintbrush, phlox, columbine, heather, Columbia lilies, penstemon, gumweed and many more in the alpine that I don't know the name of. There were a few cool patches of pinesap and gnome plant down in the forest too.
The tarn was a beauty, and a group of 6-7 had camped there, headed up to the peak in the morning, and were just headed back down as we reached the tarn. We were surprised at how few people were on the trail on such a clear day; besides the group, there were 2 couples heading up around the same time as us, one mountain biker who went up to the tarn and then back down, and 2 guys headed up to camp as we were headed back to the car.
We couldn't have picked a better day for amazing views all around. A not so happy view were the plumes of smoke heading up into the sky from the Southern Okanagan. Fantastic views of Silvertip Mountain, Mount Baker, the Cheam Range and many more.
I know some people don't like all the switchbacks as it may add a bit extra distance and the descent did seem like it took forever, but our knees were definitely thanking us for the not so steep grade.
It was a long day but totally worth the effort. A classic hike for some unparalleled views of the Cascades.
Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.