I’ve got to admit, this hike was not even in my radar and I ended up doing it because I hadn’t planned anything and Steve, one of the hike leader in the group, had posted it. From the description it looked interesting so why not. And I think I have to disclose that they only bad thing about this hike is that is far. The drive from Portland is about three hours. In the end, you are hiking in the south side of Mt Rainier. Getting there is easy even though we did pass some shady campsites – read hunters, but once at the trailhead we felt a bit more secure. The hike gets in the forest right away and it’s pretty covered. Not only that, but it also takes very little time until you hit the first of a series of switchbacks that will make you gain some good elevation. But then, between the trees you get a glimpse of what’s coming ahead. The trail follows the northern side of a valley without getting all the way to the ridge. Looking at the map you can see many small creeks that start below the trail which made me think that the trail was build thee just to avoid the creeks. The climbing goes pretty steady until you get close to a saddle where a side trail would take you to Tatoosh Lake. We did see several backpackers heading that way for the weekend and our original plan was, depending on the group and time, to check the lakes out on our way down. We didn’t have that chance so there’s something to explore next time. After passing the junction though the trail opened up and was very exposed. We had to lather up with sun screen several times so we wouldn’t fry under the sun. The entire side of the mountain was covered in grasses and low plants that must have looked amazing earlier in the season when they were in full bloom. AS you continue to gain elevation, rolling hills appear to the west. At one particular point I stopped and turned around and almost fell back with the view. In most hikes we concentrate on the views ahead of us. This hike, the views are behind you (at least when you are going up). From different point of the trail you could see the entire path and Mt Rainier peeking above the ridgeline. The trail then turns east again to traverse another small valley with some impressive rock formation and some pretty steep cliffs. Below you could see the streams and creeks that have probably eroded the land forming the valleys. After a third valley we finally found the junction to the viewpoint that climbs quickly to the ridge line and leaves the tree line behind. Once you reach the ridgeline, Mt Rainier disappears for a moment but you get the valley of the Muddy Fork drainage and all the hills and mountains to the east and south. Way in the distance, almost hiding in plain sight, was Mt Hood. At this point, unless you were looking close down, you could not see the trail as it was obscured by grasses and pasqueflowers. Finally, you reach the summit and wow, what a view. The mountain just drops off in front of you with a rocky valley below and a seasonal tarn. Beyond that a mountain ridge and the towering Mt Rainier. Simply spectacular views. WE stopped there for lunch and pictures and then headed back down following the same path. When we reached the junction to the lake, the consensus vote was not to go there so we just continued down to the cars. The lakes remain to be seen.
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