This section of the 2600-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) seems tailor-made for kids and dogs. It's gentle, scenic, and easily accessible, with a great swimming lake, resilient grassy meadows for romping, and easy off-trail scrambles. All this and more awaits hikers willing to share the trail with a lot of fellow nature lovers and the occasional bear--where there are huckleberries, there are sure to be bears, and there are some wonderful huckleberry brambles above this trail. Of course, with plenty of meadows for grazing, rocks to hide among, and trees to perch in, the area is also popular with a host of bird and animal species, including deer, mountain goats, hawks, falcons, marmots, martens, chipmunks, and the ever-faithful friend of hikers, gray jays.

The trail traverses the steep hillside meadows east of Chinook Pass, staying above SR 410 for the first mile. Traffic noise can be heard, and sometimes seen, but the views beyond make up for that. The deep valley of the Rainier Fork American River, with Naches Peak rising on the far side of the valley, is beautiful. Hikers with sharp eyes, or good binoculars, can often pick out hikers rounding the flank of Naches on the PCT, some 3 trail miles to the south.

After the first mile the trail veers north, climbing gently up to a bench below Sourdough Gap. Just past the 2.5 mile mark you'll drop into the Sheep Lake basin. The trail to the gap rounds the east side of the lake and begins a moderately steep climb up the valley wall to the rocky saddle of Sourdough Gap at 3.5 miles. Along the way the trail loops through a few switchbacks and offers wonderful views down to the lake and occasionally all the way back down to the trailhead.

Sourdough Gap is a small saddle in a jagged-edged ridge. You'll find a few spotty views of Mount Rainier during the approach to the gap, but for the really outstanding vistas you'll need to scramble up the steep talus slope on the northwest side of the gap. A faint boot-beaten path leads to the ridge crest--be careful, though, because the far side of the ridge falls away in a 500-foot cliff. From this ridge you'll be able to look southwest onto the Emmons Glacier of Mount Rainier. Directly below your vantage point is the Crystal Lakes basin--be sure to wave to the hikers clustered on the shores of those pretty lakes.

Those who'd rather stick to the established trail will have to forgo views of Rainier, but by continuing on the PCT about 0.25 mile north of Sourdough Gap, you'll find wonderful views east into the meadows of upper Morse Creek, with the blue pool of Placer Lake sitting dead center in the valley. Far beyond is the long spine of American Ridge in the William O. Douglas Wilderness.