Part 3, Second Burroughs to Third Burroughs, Third Burroughs to Frozen Lake




First we see the Mount Fremont lookout, Grand Park, and Glacier Peak, behind the shoulder of Second Burroughs, followed by the eastern flank of Third Burroughs, where I'll soon be. Next is the jagged Sluiskin Mountain, which lies between here and Windy Gap, and then the appropriately named Old Desolate. Little Tahoma looms larger than ever before. The last two shots give you an idea of just how clear the air is. In the foreground sits the top of Skyscraper Mountain, less than two miles away, while snow covered Mount Baker resides 130 miles distant!



The second hiker of the day passed me while at was at The Tortoise on top of Second Burroughs, and you can see him making the trek over to Third. You get a real sense of the tundra characteristic here, with vegetation very sparse and low on the barren ground. The brown color is a result not of dirt, but a different kind of ground cover, pumice. You don't suppose we're near a volcano, do you? Looking back to the east, I noted that I had a ways to go before I was even as high again as the flat top of Second Burroughs. After the healthy climb to 7800 feet, I finally made it to the top of Third Burroughs,and was greeted by what must be the best view anywhere short of Rainier's summit. Directly below, the hugely crevassed Winthrop Glacier presents itself, while further west, Mystic Lake sits peacefully between Old Desolate and Mineral Mountain. For a view of Third Burroughs as seen from the meadows just west of Mystic Lake, click here.



The third hiker of day had beat both myself and the second hiker to Third Burroughs. However, there was enough space for us to spread out and not see each other for about half an hour, before the crowds started arriving. The early bird stayed at the official summit, which is the first one reached, while the second went over to the eastern flank, and I took the northern summit. I got out another Powerbar and the binoculars and had at it! Seattle and Bellevue were visible to the naked eye, though the binocs were required to make out the actual buildings. I could also see McCord Air Force base, downtown Tacoma, Seatac, Renton, and Puget Sound. The olympic Mountains were also visible to the naked eye, which is extremely rare from Sunrise, and quite clear through the binocs. As mentioned before, both Glacier Peak and Mount Baker were highly visible. McCord AFB and Tacoma are shown in picture #5, while Seattle and Bellevue are in picture #8 (just trust me here). Looking back at Second Burroughs, it appears to have a huge flat summit. In reality, what you are seeing is actually the top of First Burroughs immediately behind Second, somewhat easier to discern in the closeup shot. The trail heading downhill to the right goes down to the Glacier Basin trail, almost 2000 feet below. From there you can head down to the White River Campground (car camping), or up to the top of Rainier via Camp Schurman.



After spending nearly an hour on top of Third Burroughs spectating, I noticed groups of people arriving frequently, and decided to head down. An interesting cloud formation had materialized over Observation and Echo Rocks. I spied another two climbers high up on Rainier, though as usual, undetectable to the camera. Another unique cloud had formed over Little Tahoma as I headed back to Second Burroughs, where I found the Tortoise surrounded by swarms of hikers. You see the lush green meadows of Glacier Basin below, though I have it on authority that the actual campsite there is a bit of a mess.



Looking north again, from the summit of First Burroughs, Skyscraper Mountain looks considerably more impressive. The path heading to Skyscraper Pass, only a few hundred feet below the summit, is a nice grade, while down below Berkeley Park is green as ever. Grand Park peeks around the shoulder of Mount Fremont, while my infamous observation spot on the Northern Loop trail sits on the hillside to the left of it. I took another break at First Burroughs for a Powerbar and to apply a bit of padding to my feet. There was a volunteer ranger answering questions, and a couple professional photographers had set up their gear. Heading down to Frozen Lake, the hordes of people were everywhere, although I've seen worse.