Pink Pilchuck

This hike was a reminder that the weather at the start doesn’t predict weather at the summit.

I started the hike at 5:00pm, later than I would have liked but unavoidable due to prior commitments. I knew the road was bad, but it was worse than I remember (so many deep potholes!). It look 32 minutes from start to parking lot, where I saw 3 other cars parked.

The weather was clear at the start, although you could see a bank of fog clouding the summit. I hiked the 1.1 miles to the turn where it becomes more alpine and entered the dense fog layer. I had resigned to the fact that there would be no summit views. It took me so long just to arrive at the trailhead, I was okay with that. Plus, I had hiked the trail twice before and knew what to expect.

LOTS of fall foliage in bloom, bright yellows and ashy reds. Saw a few birds and guinea fowl (?), other than those animals and the two hiking groups, I was alone on the mountain.

I reached the summit at 6:33pm and saw a group of three hikers had set up camp in the lookout. Very gray, dark skies when I ate my Chipotle burrito. Then, 10 minutes later, the clouds parted and this pretty pink haze made the sky glow. It was a pale pink, then a burst of red, then gray again.

I still get surprised by how quickly the weather in the PNW turns, coming from California. But today, it was a good turn and a pleasant surprise.

It reminds me of how in life we may think we’re too late getting to where we want to be – that we’ve missed the boat – when in fact, we’re right on time. Things have a way of working out in the end.

Total time: 3:32 minutes

Start time: 5:00pm

Reached summit: 6:33pm

Finish time: 8:32pm