Owyhigh Lakes
Sep. 14th, 2025 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvernIt's been years since I've hiked Owyhigh Lakes - I think I only did it once before? Maybe twice. Anyway, I'd forgotten how gorgeous it is up there. One of the reasons I don't do it much is because 3 of the 3.5 mile hike up there is in forest, so no view until you actually get there, unlike some of the other hikes in the same area that are views most of the way.
But the same thing that makes it less popular with me makes it less popular with other people too. On a Friday in mid-September, I met three ladies hiking down when I was on my way up, then never saw another person till I got back to the car park. It was fantastic to have the place to myself.
( Owyhigh Lakes )
But the same thing that makes it less popular with me makes it less popular with other people too. On a Friday in mid-September, I met three ladies hiking down when I was on my way up, then never saw another person till I got back to the car park. It was fantastic to have the place to myself.
( Owyhigh Lakes )
Forest Lake
Sep. 7th, 2025 10:51 amtiggymalvernHiking this week was a day of pros and cons. I noticed on Thursday evening as I drove home from work that there was some high smoke haze, but there were no air quality warnings. Friday morning I headed off to Mount Rainier/Tahoma National Park and the haze was still there but mild, and then when I arrived at the White River entrance kiosk and opened the window, the air absolutely stank. The ranger said there was a fire only about five miles away, but it was burning in the other direction, away from us. So I thought, well, I'm already here, I'll hike with a mask on. And the N-95 really performed - with the mask on, I couldn't even smell the smoke.
I'd already decided to do the Huckleberry Creek/Forest Lake hike, the only hike out of the Sunrise/White River area that I hadn't ever done. The reasons I hadn't done it were two-fold - firstly it's less dramatically scenic than many of the others, rated only 2/5 stars in the guide where many others get 4 or 5. And secondly, the hike is all downhill, which is not my preferred direction. I like to get the hard part out of the way early - sitting by a destination lake isn't as relaxing when you're thinking about the uphill slog to get back!
The upside to the combination of smoke and a less popular hike was that once I left the Sourdough Ridge trail half a mile from the car park, I didn't see any other person. It's the first time I've ever had a hike all to myself in the National Park. Unexpected bonus! The downsides were smoke and photos that don't look as dramatic when the sky's a hazy grey instead of truly blue.
( Forest Lake )
I'd already decided to do the Huckleberry Creek/Forest Lake hike, the only hike out of the Sunrise/White River area that I hadn't ever done. The reasons I hadn't done it were two-fold - firstly it's less dramatically scenic than many of the others, rated only 2/5 stars in the guide where many others get 4 or 5. And secondly, the hike is all downhill, which is not my preferred direction. I like to get the hard part out of the way early - sitting by a destination lake isn't as relaxing when you're thinking about the uphill slog to get back!
The upside to the combination of smoke and a less popular hike was that once I left the Sourdough Ridge trail half a mile from the car park, I didn't see any other person. It's the first time I've ever had a hike all to myself in the National Park. Unexpected bonus! The downsides were smoke and photos that don't look as dramatic when the sky's a hazy grey instead of truly blue.
( Forest Lake )