Hiking Mt Elinor

Royal and I got up yesterday morning and left the kids with the rest of my family, and went and hiked Mt Ellinor.  We hiked from the Upper Trail where we started at 3500 feet and hiked up 1.6 miles to the top where it is 5944 feet.  Usually this time of year, right near the top there is a big field of wild flowers that you walk through, but since it has been such a cold and late summer here, there weren't any flowers because there was still a bunch of snow at the top.

Here are Royal and I at the base.



And here is where we were going to be hiking to.  The summit is the peak right above the line of snow.



The beginning of the hike.  Hello Trees!!!  I love Washington!



Starting to get above the tree line.



We hit the snow and found out from a couple we met at the top, that just 3 weeks ago there had been 3 feet of snow up there.



Lake Cushman down below



There is the parking lot way down there to the right.  If Jayden had been with us, I'm pretty sure he would of said, "Look, those cars are so puny!"



We got to the top and had this view...



...and this mountain goat waiting for us!



It took us about an hour and a half to get to the top and about an hour to get down.  You can't hike anything like this in Kansas!  :)