I couldn’t wait for the sun any longer. I had to go on a hike. I did the Naches Peak Loop which is at the top of Chinook Pass. It has several admiral qualities. The hike is a loop, so there is no back tracking. It is only three miles long with about 600 feet elevation gain, so it is not hard. It has incredible fall colors and views of Mt. Rainier. And on a day when there is a chance of rain, you are never more than a quick 35 minutes from your car incase you have to beat a hasty retreat. And did I mention, it was gorgeous with beautiful alpine meadows and lots of lakes, tarns, and other bodies of water.
The hike begins at Lake Tipsoo which is pretty even in the fog.
The trail wanders along side some lakes, through some, meadows and beneath Naches Peak. It is a short scramble up Naches Peak, though on a cloudy day, the view is no better from the top of the peak than it is from the trail.
There are two named lakes, Tipsoo and Dewey, and countless tarns and ponds or along the trail. The difference between a tarn and a pond is the nationality of the person who named it. If you are Scandinavian, a tarn is a small lake or pond formed where a glacier scooped a hole in the ground. If you are from the mid west, a pond is a boggy, bug filled depression with scummy water inhabited by slimy creatures that give you warts. It’s a personal bias, but I prefer tarns.
The fall colors are just beginning to turn, which is distressing since I don’t remember actually having a summer. The colors should be great in the next couple of weeks, especially if you happen to hike on a sunny day.
And the views of Rainier would be great on a less cloudy day. The hike through the mist was quiet and peaceful.
The crowds are gone when you hike on a rainy Monday, though I did meet one through hiker. He started at the US/ Mexican border in May and should be in Canada in the next two weeks. I did not turn him into immigration.
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