Eunice Lake, Tolmie Peak, Spray Park

I posted this Mountaineers trip as the "Mowich Ramble" -- Mowich Lake to Eunice Lake/Tolmie Peak to Mowich Lake to Spray Falls/Spray Park to Mowich Lake -- and held my breath. I offered this same trip last year and had to cancel when only one person signed up. (An official Mountaineers hike must have at least three people.) I was thrilled to see it fill up with four on the waitlist!

The Mowich Lake Road has seen some grading, but it's still full of washboard sections. And plenty dusty. It took us about 90 minutes to drive to the lake from our carpool meeting spot in Federal Way. Two of our group camped at the walk-in campground at Mowich Lake to get an extra hour of sleep.

It was sunny and cool when we hiked out of the trees and arrived at Eunice Lake, then made the steep walk up to the Tolmie Peak Lookout. The Carbon River Valley and the view North was completely clouded over, but the scene South was jaw-dropping -- Eunice Lake, Mowich Lake, Mt. Rainier and even Mt. St. Helens! Spray Falls was also stunning, but the clouds had moved in by the time we hit the second and third meadows of Spray Park. Great wildflowers, and the trails were in great shape -- very few muddy sections given the recent rains. Go soon before the summer ends -- if the gentians are any indication, it's not far off now!