Silver Star Mountain, WA

I checked out this hike recently and a birding highlight was a lazuli bunting, which a first for me. They behave like the indigo buntings of the east by singing from a prominent perch in an open area.

I find that even the most crowded trails thin out immediately when you get a few miles in.

The coworkers accompanying me hooked up the food for a nice snack at the saddle-type summit and helped identify the distant monarchs Hood, Saint Helens, Rainier and Adams.