In my attempts to squeeze the last drops out of the summer season, I opt'd to do a solo overnighter on the Eastside Trail on Mt. Rainier. I made it a through hike, and asked V to pick me up at the other side. The first day, I wander up to a place called Owyhigh Lakes, a beautiful pair of shallow forested lakes named after a Yakima Indian Chief (Owhi) who loaned his horses to Theodore Roosevelt in the 1800's. Everything about the area, including the weather screamed of fall. I was treated to great views of the Cowlitz Chimneys and Tamanos Mountain. As I wandered, I enjoyed the colors and the forest and ended up spending the night 18 miles from the trailhead at a place called Ollalie Creek Camp. The night was really cold, but I slept well in my zero degree sleeping bag. The next morning was cloud free with a layer of frost on everything. It won't be too many days before the snow covers all of this until late spring. It was good to get back out there!
There were still ripe berries! This is really late for blueberries, but since our spring was so wet and cold, they are a little confused. The bears know they are ripe too- I saw 3 bear "rumps" because the second they see me they run. No pictures, but I much prefer 'those' kind of encounters.
Pink Wintergreen
Fungus among-us
My little camp.
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