Blue Lake Peak

Summit

Nick on summit

Scree frozen today

Larch on its last breath

Back to Saddle

Back to Saddle

Squeezing in one more summit before snow?

Nearing the relaltively, short summit climbing.  Some snow is falling inbetween stiff winds and 23 degree temperatures. We drove from I-5 to Blue Lake trail experiencing rain most of the way.  Clouds parted near Rainy Pass and nothing at the trail head.  Off we went,8:30am,  only four cars in the parking lot.  It was just good to be out one more time before winter changed everything, especially this area when the road closes all of us but the snowmobilers during the long winters of the North Cascades.   The trail went fairly quick for two old retired guys trying to keep the bones from atrophy. We met a couple coming down from SEWS who said the wind was so bad they gave up early on their climb.  We read the forecast for cold and wind, but we decided we would decide for ourselves as we got higher.  I did pile on every piece of clothing I brought, longjohns, pants, rain pants, shirt, vest, puffiy, jacket, gloves with hand warmer packets and the best handmaid knit hat my wife knit me.  I did ok, and Nick is tougher then me. On we went.  A little snow make some step of concern, make the ridge in ok time. It was the summit pitches we wondered about, but decide to do it unroped and picked our was directly above the ridge we were on. Be careful, test the holds, one at at a time and we were there! 4 hours from car and amazingly, the wind and cold were tolerable. Looked around for register, not to be found, pictures of course, decided on another way down with one short rap.  You know, for this time of the year, our climbing level in a post covid world... it was perfect.  Off to the van, down to Mondos for a Mushroom burger.  Reasonable time home.