Beautiful sunny day for hiking! We headed up to Mt Baker to hike the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail out to the Portals.This is a 12 mile round trip hike with 2,250 ft of overall gain. I love this hike for the continuous views all along the trail. You can hike a short distance and enjoy this trail as well.
View of Mt Baker from near the beginning of the trail.
There was a little bit of fall color along the open slopes of Table Mountain.
There were lots of ripe huckleberries along the trail.
The trail drops down before going up and over the ridge on the left.
It was cold in the morning and the trail was frozen where the streams crossed over the trail in the shade.
The ice and frost reminds us that winter comes fast in the mountains.
Mt Baker in the distance, the trail will go up and around the rocky peaks to the left.
When we reached the ridge, we could see Mt Shuksan across this colorful meadow.
More ice and frost up on the ridge in the morning.
Another view of Mt Shuksan
We waited for this grouse to come off the trail
So fun to be high up in the mountains with these views on a beautiful fall day!
Pano from about 3 miles along the trail: Mt Shuksan, North Cascades, Mt Baker Coleman Pinacle
The trail goes around Coleman Pinnacle on the left (south) side.
We crossed a few small snow fields.
Wide angle view of Mt Baker from about 4 miles along the trail, on the west side of Coleman Pinnacle. The Portals are the large bare rock formations on the right side of Mt Baker.
Camp Kiser is the short rock wall seen below. Looking at Coleman Pinnacle from our lunch spot to the east.
View of Mt Baker and the Portals to the west.
3 people had hiked up and back to the Portals before us this morning, so we had nice footsteps to follow. There was a small amount of new snow.
East and West Portals in Front of Mt Baker
Nearing the Portals, the boot track goes up the far left side of the East Portal before traversing across the top.
Pano from the East Portal looking east to west: Mt Shuksan, North Cascade peaks, Sholes Glacier below us, and Mt Baker
Pano from the East Portal looking west to east: Mt Baker, the end of East Portal and West Portal, Mazama Glacier, peaks in Canada and the far north Cascades, Mt Shuksan
Mt Baker, the far end of East Portal and West Portal
Great views of Mt Shuksan as we hiked back down from East Portal.
Coleman Pinnacle and Mt Shuksan
A look back at Mt Baker with the Portals.
Red berry leaves and pasqueflower seedheads in front of Mt Baker
Trail heading back around Coleman Pinnacle, loverly blue tarns in the distance.
Pano along the south side of Coleman Pinnacle with views of the tarns and Mt Baker
Many great views of Mt Shukan in the afternoon as we return along the trail.
The snowfields were a little easier to cross in the afternoon sun after many people had hiked across them.
Another lovely view of Mt Shuksan
Pano from along the trail watching the clouds gather around Mt Shuksan and Mt Baker
some pearly everlasting and fall color in the rocks
Looking down into the valley we descend into before the trail goes back up along the north side of Table mountain.
We found some patches of fall color along the way.
More clouds gathering around Mt Shuksan
beautiful views as we returned back to the parking area.
There were lots of ripe huckleberries along the trail.
The ice and frost reminds us that winter comes fast in the mountains.
3 people had hiked up and back to the Portals before us this morning, so we had nice footsteps to follow. There was a small amount of new snow.
Coleman Pinnacle and Mt Shuksan
Another lovely view of Mt Shuksan
some pearly everlasting and fall color in the rocks
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