Last Saturday, my dad and I finally managed to fit in a nice long hike, just the two of us. It was 9 miles and I was thoroughly exhausted by the end, but it was definitely worth it. Three Fingered Jack is located in the Cascades just north of the Black Crater Fire which has been in the news lately. We did see quite a bit of smoke to the south, but views to the north we lovely and the views along the hike were breathtaking.
These butterflies were all over next to Canyon Creek which meanders by the trail. Wildflowers were quite abundant. We saw pink monkeyflower, columbine, larkspur, cat's ear, aster, lupine, penstemon and these paintbrush.
The hike took us from about 4500 feet to 6100 feet. Just below that snow field is a glacial lake surrounded by moraine. We scrambled up the moraine pile to see the lake.
After another 1/2 an hour of very difficult climbing we reached the viewpoint. The sock finally came out for a breather at the top where we stopped for lunch. As you can see Sock #1 is done and baby sock is just started. It was such a beautiful day and not windy at the top like usual. In the distance you can see Mt. Jefferson. I even knit a few rounds!
This is a flower I have never seen before. It's official name is Western Pasque Flower, but it's also called Hippie-on-a-Stick! I thought that was very funny. This is how it looks after flowering.
After the main part of the hike and sitting by these beautiful falls for a bit, we took a side trail to Wasco Lake. Here's my dad who just turned 65 last week. Happy Birthday, Dad!
