Naches Peak Loop Hike at Mt Rainier

This is an easy 3.5 mile loop hike at Mt Rainier National Park at Chinook Pass. 

There is only 600 ft of elevation gain. My DIL and grandchildren joined me on this hike.

We started at the parking lot near Tipso Lake.

We hiked the loop in a clockwise direction, heading northeast, 

where the trail leaves Mt Rainier National Park and joins the Pacific Crest Trail.

 There were still some wildflowers in bloom.

 About 1 mile along the trail, we stopped at a small tarn to enjoy our lunch.

 About halfway around the loop, we enjoyed the overlook of Dewey Lake.

 The trail continue back to Tipsoo Lake. 

Even though Mt Rainier remained cloud covered,

 we enjoyed the other views and the hike.

Marmot Pass Hike Washington

We choose to hike to Marmot Pass along the Big Quilcene Trail in the Olympic National Forest.

The trailhead is about 16 miles off of Hwy 101 near Quilcene.

Hiked for 11 miles with a 3500 ft elevation gain.

 The trail follows the Big Quilcene River for 2.5 miles through the forest.

 

We enjoyed eating wild blueberries and huckleberries along the way.

There were lots of wildflowers in bloom.

There is a large unnamed falls about 1.5 miles along the trail.

When the trail leaves the river, it starts to climb more steeply.

Part of the trail goes through the subalpine forest.

After another mile, the trail opens up into meadow fields, Iron Mtn in the background

 As we neared Marmot Pass we saw several marmots.

We reached pass where one could continue to hike

 to the Upper Dungeness Trail or The Tubal Cain Trail.

 We decided to go up on the nearby ridge to eat lunch and enjoy the views.

The ridge line to the south

To the west lay more Olympic Mtns. Between the far two mountain ridgelines, lies Royal Basin where we hiked a couple of weeks before.

 Looking down the pass to the west where we hiked up,

we took the same trail back on our return.

Mount Ellinor Hike Washington

We drove to the Upper Trailhead about 17 miles off of Hwy 101 in the Olympic National Forest.

From the upper trailhead the summit is only 1.6 miles long, but it is a 2500 ft elevation gain.

Our youngest brother and nephew joined us on this hike.

 The trail climbs the entire way, often in the rocks.

 Lots of wildflowers in bloom along the way.

  

There are lots of places to stop along the way to rest and admire the view to the south.

Hood Canal is seen to the far left and Lake Cushman is seen to the right

 As steep as the climb is, there are places where it is less steep.

 We ate lunch and enjoyed the views at the summit of Mount Ellinor
which is in the Skokomish Wilderness..

 To the east: Hood Canal, Kitsap Peninsula, Puget Sound and Mt Rainier (taken with zoom lens)

 To the southwest, Mount Rose (I think) and the Olympic Mtns

 To the north more Olympic Mtns

 To the northeast, the edge of the Olympic Mtns, Hood Canal and Mt Baker covered in clouds

The descent was steep, but we had gorgeous views in front of us most of the way down.

Mount Zion Hike Washington

The trailhead to Mount Zion is a little more than 10 miles off of Hwy 101.

The hike is about a 5 mile round trip with 1300 ft elevation gain in the Olympic National Forest.

 Lots of wildflowers in bloom

 
 
 

 

Almost 2 miles up the trail you arrive at a rocky summit, a fire tower was here until 1975. 

The forest has grown up blocking most of the view.

It took a bit of looking, but we found the trail continuing in the brush

 for 0.5 mile to a large rock outcropping, walk as far along the rocks as you feel comfortable.

To the west, the Olympic Mountains.

 To the east, Hood Canal

Third Burroughs Hike at Mt Rainier National Park

Another hike that starts at the Sunrise Parking lot at Mt Rainier.

We hiked a 9 mile round trip and a 3000 ft total elevation gain with all the ups and downs.

 Take the Sourdough Ridge Trail to Frozen Lake (about 1.5 miles), where the trail splits, take the trail to the left up to First Burroughs, enjoying the wildflowers along the way.

 

A mile along this trail we reached the top of First Burroughs (7100 ft), Mt Rainier was covered in clouds, but we could see the top of Second Burroughs (7400 ft) to the southwest. 

The trail descends about 100 ft, before climbing 400 ft to the top of Second Burroughs

We enjoyed the sun, even though both Mt Rainier and Third Burroughs were covered in clouds.

 Continue along the Burroughs Mountain Trail as it descends about 400 ft for 1/2 mile.

This trail will eventually descend almost 2000 ft to join the Glacier Basin Trail, before that happens, look for a boot trail off to the right which heads up to Third Burroughs. 

 Even at this high elevation we found wildflowers in bloom.

  

 

On the boot trail it is about 3/4 - 1 mile and 800 ft up to Third Burroughs 

Photo on rt: looking back toward th White River Glacier Basin

Third Burroughs (7828ft) gives you a splendid place to sit an admire the views. 

By the time we reached the summit, Mt Rainier was almost completely covered in clouds.

We did get brief glimpse of  Inter Glacier.

 We returned to Sunrise, via Second Burroughs, First Burroughs 

and then the Burroughs Loop Trail to the Sunrise Rim Trail. I great hike!