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Mount Constitution
Orcas Island
| MAY 3, 2008 A Mountaineers CHS hike. We hiked this trail from Mountain Lake to the summit of
Mount Constitution on a rainy, foggy day, and we had the trail to
ourselves. The trail climbs steeply up through pretty woods, which
are dense enough to make you forget that you are never far from the road
to the summit. One of the first things you see as you emerge from
the wilderness approaching the summit is a sign directing you to the
Summit Gift Shop and vending machines near the stone tower. From
the summit you can see for miles, looking down on Twin Lakes and
Mountain Lake at the start of the trail. However, our reward for
the long hike on this day was a view of thick fog in every direction.
After admiring the almost views and taking time for a quick lunch, we
continued on the loop trail back to Mountain Lake. We hiked a side
trail to Cold Springs along the way, but the springs were dry and there
was only fog to be seen from the picnic area.
We weren't ready to call it quits for the day after we completed the loop, so we stopped to hike along Cascade Creek to see the waterfalls and then drove to Olga and explored Obstruction Pass State Park before going back to the vacation house to shower and change. It is amazing how much mud you can accumulate on a rainy day hike! The sun came out later that afternoon, so we drove to the summit of Mount Constitution to see the views that we missed out on during our hike.
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Epilog - The View from Mount Constitution on a Sunny Day |
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