Boulder Peak (Suiattle River)

The trip to Boulder on 7/18/2015 was great. We took a pretty slow pace due to the heat, but the sky was clear for great views in all directions.

We took the trail to Boulder Lake, then headed uphill until we reached a boot path that gained several hundred feet. We found a ramp up to the NW ridge that was more T4 than T2, but everyone managed it OK. We could have taken an easier ramp, but I thought the students on this trip were up to more of a challenge and they were. We came down the East ridge which was pretty easy. We then came down to the outlet stream from Pear Lake where we pumped some water. I then made the mistake of relying on a faulty memory and headed down to Boulder Lake from there because I had remembered following the lake shore from there; unfortunately there is a small cliff in the way. This led to having to climb back up a couple hundred feet or so.

One other incident of note -- there is a nest of bees or some other stinging insect north of the trail at about 4700 feet; one person was stung twice as we descended the trail.

This peak and nearby Hurricane Peak (which is more challenging) are great scrambles that should be done more often, especially when the weather is clear. The views are stupendous and the lakes are gorgeous. If you take the NW ridge, you don't see Glacier Peak until you reach the summit; that way, one of the best parts of the view is saved for last.