Tolmie Peak - Eunice Lake 07-28-2018

Even though I left super early anticipating a loooong drive down to Mt Rainier National Park, the parking lot was insane when I got there.  That must be indicative of popular trails by the bigger cities of Seattle and Tacoma.  The road up to Mowich Lake to get to the trailhead was heavily washboarded dirt.  Almost 17 miles of heavily washboarded dirt!  I've seen super pot-holed roads, but this was slick with gravel and I had to put it in 4wd because I was fish-tailing.  The dust was so bad that it was hard to see.  My XTerra was so dusty that someone did this.

The trail up wasn't super steep, although the inclines slowed me to snail pace.  Not racing snail pace either.  Sllooooowwww.  A lot of it is through forest so the shade was nice.

Pretty soon I was at Eunice Lake. What a pretty alpine lake tucked up against rocky cliffs.  If you look way up at the top of the ridge you can see Tolmie Peak Lookout, where I was heading.

There were TONS of bugs on this trail!  Mosquitoes, deer flies, and some kind of large biting flies that look like bees.  These gorgeous blue butterflies were a nice bug to see though.  

There was a little pond/puddle just before I got to the lake which was full of tadpoles.  Cute little things.  Hopefully they grow legs before the puddle dries up!

There were beautiful wildflowers all over.  Most were around Eunice Lake, but there were some along the trail here and there, as well as at Mowich Lake.

Heather

Maybe spent Mountain Oxytropis?  Unsure

Lupine

Beargrass

Penstemon

Avalanche lily

Jeffrey's shooting star

Paintbrush

The lookout was fairly crowded with people, but I climbed up the stairs and looked around.  The view of Mt Rainier from the lookout was absolutely stunning.  Especially with Eunice Lake below.

The bugs were so bad that I took the sarong out of my pack and put it up over my hat to protect my neck, arms and back a little more and make less places for them to get into my face.  I even had DEET on, but I am starting to think these suckers like it.

On the way back there was a quiet between other hikers and this curious little doe came out through the woods.

When I got back to the car I swapped my hiking boots for sandals and went down to Mowich Lake and went for a nice swim.  From Mowich (along the trail side) there is only a peekaboo view of Mt Rainier.

On the way down the dirt road, I had a tire pressure light.  I get those a lot as the sensors are super sensitive.  I started to think the Xterra was driving and sounding different, so I pulled over to check.  I had a FLAT tire.  Amazingly enough, where I pulled over there were two men admiring the panorama and they came over immediately and the younger man started changing my tire.  I admitted I had never changed my tire before and asked him if he had.  He said actually he was a mechanic!!  He had me all squared away in about 15 minutes.  That man is a true hero.

Keep on adventuring!

Sauk Mountain 07-22-2018

It was great to do a hike today that I'd never done before!  I left Cedar and Luna home for this one, as I knew it was steep, was going to be hot later, and no water sources along the trail to cool them off.  I got up early to hit this one before the people and while it was still cool out.  The road up was even switchbacks, but then it started out with an amazing view as well.  There was also the cutest little A frame privy I've ever seen.

The trail was loaded with flowers and butterflies.  Tiger lilies, columbine, lupine, phlox, paintbrush, and tons of white sitka valerian (I think).

I was also super lucky to see some wildlife!  I saw a chipmunk that I didn't get a photo of, a Townsend's solitaire and a couple marmots.  This one was right up at the top of Sauk Mt, sunbathing and letting the breeze ruffle his fur.  On the way up I saw a blue grouse right by the trail, as he was booming and giving his hiding spot away.  On the way down I could still here him and it took some looking around, as he was in a tree, surveying what seemed like the entire world.

Can you spot him?  Look for his orange eyebrow.

This ladybird beetle had bars instead of dots.

This trail was steep.  I am still working on getting in shape, so the way up I'd take a switchback or two and then stop for a minute or 2 while my heartrate slowed back down to somewhere in the acceptable human workout range.  Also, I don't know if it was because I'm used to hiking with my fuzzy buddies or what, but I kept getting scared I was going to fall - a couple times my mind played tricks on me and I started thinking the trail itself was sloping, like it wanted to dump me down the mountain.  I had to take a deep breath, regroup and tell myself this was a TRAIL, terra firma.  People were hiking up, people were hiking down, no one was getting bucked off.  It was when I came around a corner and got my first glimpse of Mt Baker WOW!!!  The beauty was like a jolt of mountain mama adrenaline, straight to my courage haha.  I didn't feel scared at all for the rest of the hike!  Thanks, Mama Baker! 

You can tell a little from these pictures how steep the trail was.

The views were breathtaking, heart stopping, spirit filling, beautiful!  So worth every step!

I would have liked to hike to Sauk Lake, but it's a mile and a half down the other side of the ridge I hiked up.  No thank you.  

You can see the trail down to the left of this dinosaur spine ridge

The confluence of the Sauk and the Skagit Rivers

Usually when you're tired at the end of a hike, you are grateful to see your vehicle in the lot at the end.  This was the only hike I've ever been on where I could see my vehicle almost all the way down! 

Starting down the road, and I saw a mother grouse and her chicks.  I waited for a bit but they held their ground, so I drove carefully forward... then they all scattered - mom to one side, some of the chicks with her, some away.  They had feathers and could fly. 

This is a hike I'd definitely recommend and do again.  I don't think I'd recommend dogs - especially if they pull at all.  Also children can probably make it just fine, but as a parent I think I would have had a heart attack just worrying all the way haha. 
Happy adventuring!!