Alpine Scramble - Castle Peak & First Mother Mountain

Mowich Lake at 8:00 am.

We'll hike the trail toward Ipsut Pass, then work our way around the north side of Mowich Lake.  We'll do Castle first; this well-named peak looks impregnable, but a nice ramp leads to the unusual long flat summit area.  After we do First Mother, we will descend to Knapsack Pass, where we have several options.  We can return directly to Mowich Lake, or we can climb Fay Peak before returning to the lake.  Alternatively, we can descend the other side of Knapsack Pass and work our way around to Spray Park and return to the lake from there, possibly choosing a route over Mt. Pleasant.  If the weather is less than ideal, we can still scramble up an easy summit and enjoy the flowers.  If the weather is hot, our options include a quick swim in Mowich Lake at the end of the day.