Tinkham Tarns

We drove up to Windy Pass from Hyak on FR 9070 to hike south on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to Tinkham Tarns, 5 miles round trip with about 1,000 ft of overall gain. This morning we had a beautiful hike through the forest in the fog.

We found ripe huckleberries to eat along the way.

Some of the small ponds we saw along the trail

We took the side trail to the boulder field below Tinkaham Tarns, hiking and scrambling up on the left side of the boulder field, photo as we neared the top of the boulder field

Views of one of the Tinkham Tarns

Views of the other Tinkham Tarn

The clouds were beginning to lift on our hike back to Windy Pass, a view between the trees

Looking back at our trailhead at Windy Pass and Silver Peak at the end of our hike

Frog in the boulder field

some of the wildflowers, berries and fungi we saw along the trail today:

Sheep Lake

My second hike this morning was to Sheep Lake, I started at the Pacific Crest Trailhed on the east side of Chinook Pass. My hike was 4.4 miles round trip with 600 ft gain. I started at 9:00 and only saw one hiker heading back towareds Tipsoo Lake as I went north of the PCT to Sheep Lake. There were more hikers heading towards the lake as I was coming back down the trail. The snow was about 4-6" deep and well packed down up to the lake. Going around the lake and up the trail a bit further, I found only one set of tracks in snow that was 6-8' deep. The first mile of the trail is up above highway 410 with very little gain, view to the northeast along this section of the trail.

View looking back down the trail towards Naches and Yakima Peaks

After the first mile, the trail steadily climbs gently up through the forest with some glimpses of nearby peaks

Elk prints by Sheep Lake

Sourdough Gap across Sheep Lake

Chinook Peak across Sheep Lake

Further up the trail, a gap in the trees showed views over to American Ridge

zoom photos, second one has the top of a distant Mt Adams

Heading back down the trail, enjoying the sun filtering through the trees

Moon high above the cliffs

View of Naches and Yakima Peaks as I continue towards the trailhead

In the late morning sun, snow began melting in the rocky areas, I was surprised to find a healthy harebell in bloom

some fall color and icicles along the the trail this morning