Sauk Mountain is located off of Highway 20 just past Concrete.  It is an amazing hike and when done at the right time, the wildflowers are incredible.  I think it is listed as having 26 switchbacks from the parking lot to the saddle.  I would say that it is one of my favorites.  Looking back at hikes I think that I am drawn to hikes that end with views: Skyline Divide, Heliotrope Ridge, Excelsior Pass, and even Oyster Dome would be top hikes. Although with panoramic type view comes with work and elevation gain. When you get to the parking lot for Sauk Mountain you can almost count the switchbacks on this side.  John shoulders the pack and we start up.  Everyone knows that its going to take longer than expected since I have my camera and I'll want to stop and take photos of things that I find inspiring.  I like flowers that grow on the edge of the path and people walking that path in the background.  Those are my people.  I like dandelion seeds floating in the wind.  I like selfies and signs of the area and I like large mountains such as Baker in the background.  At the very top there used to be a fire look out building. The only remains of it today are a couple of steal cables and some cement footings which make a great spot to eat lunch.  On this day we could see Mount Baker and even Mount Rainier.  Some people said no that it was too big but coming home I had to look it up and sure enough Mount Rainier is one of the peaks that is visible from Sauk Mountain. Lona was the only child out of school for this hike.  Isaac was busy with dead week which wasn't really dead but full of studying and projects and Job was also still in school getting ready for his last week.  Fridays are our hiking days typically since it gets crowded on the weekends.  This year hikes that aren't open until July are opening early due to lack of snowfall this last winter.  I think it is really going to have huge effects for us later in the summer. Right now though I'm going to enjoy the hikes.