Summer days call for driving to Chinook Pass and enjoying the season of wildflowers along the Pacific Crest Trail. Some hikes are nothing more than to be outside and enjoy the flowers and views. We opted to park at Tipsoo Lakes, just below Chinook Pass. Hike the hillside to the left of the parking lot… Continue reading Naches Peak Wildflowers
Tag: Mt. Rainier
Shadow Lake
Walker, Alistaire and I went for a early fall hike to Shadow Lake at Mount Rainier National Park, on a chilly day, with the sun mostly socked into the clouds. It's 6400 feet elevation at the Sunrise complex and the end of the road. As we left Sunrise we passed deer enjoying lunch in the… Continue reading Shadow Lake
Carbon River Backpack
Some weeks call for a backpacking trip that isn't hard nor long. Carbon River, Mount Rainier National Park, in early summer is that. 4.5 miles each way with about 500 feet elevation gain. No snow as it sits in the 2,000 foot elevation profile. The hardest part is getting a free permit due to how… Continue reading Carbon River Backpack
Owyhigh Lakes
Owyhigh Lakes has two trailheads, but to be realistic nearly everyone starts at the White River trailhead, rather than the lonely one on Hwy 123. For one it is a much shorter drive, the parking is considerably better, and the trail gets you to the lakes faster. The Hwy 123 option though is a quiet… Continue reading Owyhigh Lakes
Glacier Basin Trail
Glacier Basin Trail at Mount Rainier National Park had eluded me for years. The first time I attempted to hike it was the early summer of 2003. Ford and I got turned around in snow near the mining relics, after I punched through rotten snow to my hip. I decided it would be there for… Continue reading Glacier Basin Trail