Thirteen hikers met at Cook & Green Pass for the hike up the PCT towards the Red Buttes. The forecast called for sunny skies with temps in the low 70s, but added was a smoky haze from wildfires west of the buttes.
At the pass we met a young couple of through hikers now heading south towards Seiad valley, 15 miles away. He was from New Mexico, she from Austria.
As we headed up, we were soon surrounded by tall Fireweed flowers now past their pinkish purple bloom and instead showing white silky hairs that will transport thousands of seeds in the wind.
As we continued up, we met a young guy coming down with tools in his back pack. He identified himself as a member of the Siskiyou Mountain Club, working on clearing the trail. We thanked him for his volunteering.
We kept a steady pace ascending some 1,400' to the Echo Lake overlook, stopping occasionally for water and to catch our breath through the smoky air.
The trail would at times turn rocky with the reddish boulders that would show their green interior when cracked open.
As it was just 11:30, most of the group continued to the Lily Pad Lake overlook and some to the rock wall in front of Kangaroo Mountain in the Red Buttes. From that point the hike was 8 miles round trip with a gain of 1,600'.
It was another good day on the trail, with some stopping for refreshments in Jacksonville.
Rich
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Cook and Green
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