Woke up on our second day to this beautiful sunrise, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens in the background. We left our tent set up, and taking a day's supply with us, hiked over to Old Snowy and up to the high point on the Knife Edge (7 miles round trip with 2,350' overall gain)
PCT heading north, Old Snowy at the far end.
We saw several marmots and a pika in the talus fields. This small marmot was right next to the trail, but ran down behind the rocks as we hiked near.
sunbeam highlights a flat rock with a resting marmot on top.
As the trail winds it's way north, we could easily turn around and enjoy the views to the south as well.
Terrain becomes more rocky as we near Old Snowy.
The views here are panoramic!!! In the distance: Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake and Mt Rainier.
The first snow field along the side of Old Snowy was well packed and icy in the morning, we used microspikes to hike across.
Looking ahead to the Knife Edge has it heads towards Mt Rainier, Old Snowy to the right
Trail splits, to the left the PCT will traverse another snow field with more exposure that I was comfortable with, and the the right, the alternate PCT route up over the saddle on Old Snowy. We choose to go up the alternate route.
Another view of Goat Ridge, Mt Rainier and the Knife Edge, a bit further up the trail
We were very slow going up Old Snowy as the views were amazing.
Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake and Mt Rainier
On the saddle, the PCT continues down to the left and the route up to the top of Old Snowy on the Right. I'm not comfortable with class 3 scramble, so we did not summit Old Snowy.
Pano from the saddle on Old Snowy to the south: Old Snowy, Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake
Pano from the saddle on Old Snowy to the north:
Mt Rainier, the Knife Edge, distant Cascade Peaks, Mt Stuart and Old Snowy (lovely blue tarns below the snow on Old Snowy) The trail is on the left heading down to the regular trail
It took me longer to go down from Old Snowy than going up, as it was very steep with loose talus and scree, this is one of the gentler sections heading down.
After rejoining the main PCT, we headed out along the Knife Edge. This is one of my favorite sections of trail. We would turn around at the high point of the Knife Edge seen on the far right.
part way along the Knife Edge, looking back at Old Snowy.
The trail up on the Knife Edge does have some switchbacks and turns.
view of Old Snowy from one of the switchbacks on the Knife Edge.
We found some wildflower in bloom along the desolate appearing landscape, Mt St Helens in the background.
Packwood Lake down in the valley
Where we stopped and turned around on the Knife Edge, the PCT continues north to Elk Pass. Mt Rainier in the distance
View to the east and south from where we turned around, Old Snowy on the right.
As we hiked back to Old Snowy, we saw a some mountain goats down in a green field.
Back up on the saddle of Old Snowy, Mt Adams in the background.
Goat Lake nestled in Goat Ridge, was a deep turquoise color in the afternoon.
Heading back to camp, crossing the snow field with Mt St Helens in the distance.
Back in the meadows as we get closer to camp, Mt Adams in the distance.
some of the wildflowers we saw along the trail on this day:
We saw several marmots and a pika in the talus fields. This small marmot was right next to the trail, but ran down behind the rocks as we hiked near.
As we hiked back to Old Snowy, we saw a some mountain goats down in a green field.
Back in the meadows as we get closer to camp, Mt Adams in the distance.
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