Echo Rock & Observation Rock

7-13-14--Echo and Observation success! Left trailhead at 7:15 a.m. via Knapsack Pass. Patches of snow going up to the pass (one quite steep, requiring ice axes and helmets). Reached 6,200' pass at approximately 8:30 a.m. Snow covered when dropping down into bowl on other side a couple hundred feet, with the trail intermittent near the top. Traversed on snow to east shoulder of Pleasant, staying above rock band and trees. Continued nearly directly up to Echo saddle staying on snow the entire way. (Snow conditions were excellent! A cloud cover kept temps down.) Upon reaching the saddle between Echo/Observation, we ascended loose rock/boulders to the face and found a boot path bringing us around clockwise over the minor shoulder to easy (but very lose!) rock to the final summit block. We kept everyone together going up, but descended one at a time due to lose rock. We summited Echo at 12:15 p.m. then descended to the saddle then to the snow and over to Observation, staying on the left of the steep snow wall to the shoulder. An easy, snow-free scramble to the summit (1:30 p.m.). On our way down the snow wall from Observation we donned crampons for traction on the occasional icy spot and due to steepness. There was rock in the run-out below. We descended on snow to the Wonderland trail for our exit to the Mowich Lake trailhead. Back to cars at 5:15 p.m.