Overall, this trip was nice because you got to see many different parts of the river from the glacial source to where it's a real big wild river that can change course, along with the ecosystems at different altitudes. The old growth along the valley bottom (and some on the slopes) is mind-blowing. It became commonplace to see hemlock, western red cedar, and douglas fir trucks 10-15' in diameter. I didn't see any big fauna, but could hear bull elk bugles near and far.
I made a mistake of only bringing trail mix on Friday's trip, which turned out to take much longer and be much more difficult than I had expected. Friday was also tough because I didn't see anyone the entire day except for when I left and returned to my base camp. I like solitude but that was a bit much. It was cloudy as well, and I despaired of not being able to see anything when I finally got up to the lookout. As it turned out, I did get a great view of the glacier and the summit did peek-a-boo through the clouds. The view from the lateral moraine was worth the price of admission.
