What a beautiful day! I couldn’t decide between going up to Mowich or Naches Loop, glad I picked the later. I have done Mowich a bunch and never done Naches loop it’s been on my list for 2 years! Got to trail head at 10:00 AM it was a brisk 36 degrees ground was frozen mud crystals for most of it and then it was just plan mud. So glad I didn’t fall on my *ss! There were a couple of close calls, thank god for poles. Talked with many friendly people along the way, a group of 15 from Japan, thought another tour bus dropped off but they were cool and went on by. I did the loop in the opposite way as everyone else. I like to be different. Views were the same just not in my face, I had to stop and look back and snap shots. It was a very easy trail, with only 700 elevation gain it was a nice change from my usual. I did see 4 dogs which I was confused, thought you couldn’t have dogs in this area but maybe I was mistaken, they were all well behaved which I appreciated. One was a 13 year old wiener dog and so cute..Saw 2 groups of rangers milling about. No wildlife to speak of few birds but that’s it. Colors are really popping out this way. Oh, and the road up Chinook is so nice, newly paved made it much more enjoyable. I highly recommend this loop you could even do another one on the way home cuz it’s easy and only took little over 2 hours to complete and I was snapping tons of photos. Next time I will do Dewey Lakes too.

We hiked counter clock wise from Tipsoo Lakes to the junction of the PCT to Dewey Lakes.We returned the way we came as the hikers we met who were doing the loop clockwise reported less fall color and windy, colder conditions on the east side of Nachez Peak. Mt Rainier was not in view when we started, but was very beautiful and more visible on our return trip. Thank you to the volunteer Park Ranger who found my lens cap and left it on our truck! :)! The trail was frozen when we started, but became muddy in places when the sun came out!

My husband (LookingGlass) & I hiked the Naches Peak Trail as recommended, clockwise, so you will be facing Mt. Rainier further along the hike.

The hike is easy. It's only 500 ft. of elevation, roughly 4.5 miles roundtrip in a loop and takes about 3 hours to hike, which includes a lot picture taking. I've done this trail before in the summer, but it looks totally different in the fall when the fall foliage colors come out from the bright red huckleberry bushes. It's really breathtaking.

There are few fun & easy short spur trails that offer different views than from the main trail. The lakes were beautiful, particularly Dewey Lake, then you turn a bend and there's Mt. Rainier in all it's glory. It's always astounding, no matter how many times I've see it before.

There was talk of bear in the fields eating huckleberries days before. After taking tons of pictures, we neared the end of the hike and then there it was, an enormous bear, munching on berries along the slope below us. I sat there and watched the bear in awe with it's luxurious dense dark brown coat, with a smattering of tan fur on it's back and a light brown nose. I've seen bear before, but never so close. Sometimes the bear watched us, but briefly, then went back to eating berries. The berries are getting soft and most are gone along the trail, but the color is still there.

My companion and I arrived early at Chinook summit and decided to photograph Mt Rainier in the morning sun.  Weather was perfect, clear skys and temperature in the low 60's.  We climbed nearly to the Dewey Lakes cutoff trail before turning back to proceed on to the Sheep Lake trail. Wildflowers were gone but the mountain blueberry brush had turned red giving a wonderful color to the meadows.  On the return trip we stopped to observe a large black bear just off the trail who was feasting on blueberries.  He was quite aware of our presence but clearly not bothered.  By this time my companion had lost battery power to her camera (far superior to mine)and was cursing herself for not having charged the battery before leaving the house. After watching twenty minutes and taking numerous photos we cautiously proceeded past him and down the trail to continue our hike to Sheep Lake. Fall colors also excellent on that trail but no animals observed other than an aggresssive chipmunk that harrassed us while eating lunch at the lake.  No insect problems on either trail.