This was a beautiful trip in perfect weather that had something new for everyone.  We headed up the usual route to Boulder Pass, where we met 2 wardens with their pack horses who had spent 5 days in the backcountry fixing trails and campsites starting from Mosquito Creek.  (Nice job when the weather is great!).  After having half our lunch overlooking Ptarmigan Lake we went up to Packer's Pass to enjoy the view back and to get our first views of Zigadenus Lake.


Reaching Packer's Pass, Philip, Rosanne, Nancy, Mathieu and Doug

First view of Zigadenus and the Wall of Jericho from Packer's Pass

With only a minor amount of snow near the pass, we headed down over lovely flowered meadows to have our main lunch at the shore.


Flowering slopes as we approach Zigadenus Lake

Philip coming down the slopes to our lunch-stop on the lake shore

 We lingered at the shoreline admiring both the main waterfall from the glacier feeding Zigadenus and the many minor falls that came over the cliffs, which often were blown back up with the wind.  The temperature was ideal and there was a light refreshing wind at the lake with no bugs.  We wandered down the shoreline to have a view down to Myosotis Lake.  We all decided to change the planned route, skipping the Hidden Lake traverse and rather go down to Myosotisand then to the valley floor through the "chimney".  Myosotis was an amazing blue reflecting the clear skies with a trail right along the shoreline.  


Brilliant colours of Myosotis lake

 When we reached the cliff that goes from Myosotis down to the valley, most of the group became a little worried, not seeing an easy way down.  No one else but the coordinator had been down the chimney before, ("you mean we're going down that hole?!).  It turns out to be very easy with zero exposure.


Rosanne coming down the Chimney

After looking back at the waterfall from Myosotis over the cliff we had just come down, we changed our planned route again.  Rather than cut up through open larch forest to Deception Pass, we decided to go up the old packer's route that followed a fairly open mostly grassy route beneath the north side of Packer's Peak to gain a high bench that overlooks Zigadenus, where we could contour across back to Packer's Pass.  This was a route that Philip had once skied and that no one else knew.  It turned out to be a gorgeous route to the bench that gave us a final view of Zigadenus.  


Climb back towards Packer's Pass

Last view of Zigadenus from the high bench

 The return from Packer's and Boulder Pass gave the usual glorious views with a refreshing breeze and we even watched loons making displays in Ptarmigan Lake.


Down from Packer's Pass with view of Ptarmigan Lake and towards Unity, Redoubt and Temple in the distance

 The revised trip was 27 km with 1036m vertical and took about 10 hours with lots of photo time and a long leisurely lunch at Zigadenus.  A lovely trip enjoyed by Nancy, Philip, Rosanne, Rosanne's son Mathieu, and Douglas (C/S/P).