Bottom Line:

Hurry to see the avalanche lilies before the bears hoover them all! Flowers are already abundant, and there is no snow except at the Spray / Seattle Park boundary, or if you take one of the bootpaths higher up into Spray Park toward Echo and Observation Rocks; the bootpaths are narrow and it take some concentration to stay on trail or rock to preserve the meadows; lots of wild footprints around the receding tarns up high - from bear to deer or elk. On a slow weekday, I took my time, just reveling in my surroundings and the calm embrace of nature. Outstanding! PS. Cinnamon bears really are beautiful creatures, and apparently not bothered by the cloud of bugs around his head!

Stats:

• Distance: 11-1/2 miles
• Duration: 5-1/2 hours 
• Vertical: 2650 ft
• Road/Parking: The gravel road at the end of SR165 after crossing the Carbon River is in great condition - looks like it was recently regraded with nary a pothole; the gravel is (noticeably in an Outback) still a spinout hazard with the speed limit posted at 30 MPH at the NP boundary; the road can be challenging returning in the early evening with the blinding sun glare and dust; parking at Mowich Lake was easy - able to find a parking spot near the front at about 1:30pm; like my recent Sunrise hike, the park was quiet - just the way I like it :) A NP pass is required to park although there is no gate (ranger often checking though); Mowich Lake looked beautiful in the mid-day sunshine with at least a handful of folks actually swimming
• Weather: Sunshine, 70s - 60s, light breeze, mosquitos pretty bad once you get up to Spray Park owing to all the tarns in the meadows; head netting and insect repellent suggested
• Trail: Followed the trail from Mowich Campground to Spray Park (~3 miles), and then took the skiers' bootpath up to the beautiful glacier-fed emerald lake at the base of Observation Rock, hidden from below behind a tall terminal moraine; the trail is in good condition with no obstacles, except snowfields that I crossed on the way down (they are avoidable, but they were much easier to hike on than the rocky moonscape terrain); the trail up to the lake starts with lush meadows full of flowers, transitions to rocky terrain with succulents and more sporatic flowers (magenta paintbrush becomes red), and then gets very boulder-strewn with many snowfields; CAUTION: There is creek flowing from the lake that traverses under many of the snowfields creating a snow-bridge risk; the bear spent most of the day grazing on in the meadows after the switchbacks up from Spray Falls (big appetite!); he seemed largely oblivious to the hikers although some folks were probably getting too close (mostly based on their telling on their way out); WTA was out working on the trail from Mowich to Spray Falls - THANK YOU :) This was a wonderful day of beauty, solitude and discovery - after the 1st hour, I only saw one other group all day, and it was hours later; of course, that can play with your head when discovering a new trail :)
• Flowers: As is typical a week into reopening for the summer, avalanche lilies are everywhere - hurry, they fade in about a week; lots of magenta paintbrush and bear grass as well (more bear grass than I have ever seen here); lupine is just getting going; among the other flowers: heather (pink and white), penstemon, marsh marigolds, fleabane, spirea, aster, lovage, yarrow, corn lilies, blue bells, cow parsnip, coralroot and buttercup.
• Takeaway: Spray Park opened last Saturday 7/8 but the park was very quiet, peaceful and beautiful; lots of flowers, and obviously critters; the flower show is generally long here, but the species change over the weeks; as is usual for Spray Park, the mosquitos are pretty bad - come prepared!

The attached HD video includes highlights from the ascent up to the lake below Observation Rock as well as footage of the bear (and its massive claws!) The tarn reflections were especially magical, although there was a bit of a breeze (which was nice to keep the bugs down honestly)

Went up to Knapsack Pass to catch the sunrise this morning and headed down to Spray Park to check out wildflower status.  I will break down the hike in sections for ease of information.   

Mowich Lake to Knapsack Pass:  This is an unmaintained trail that is picked up in front of the Mowich Lake ranger’s cabin.  The trail is filled with roots, rocks and deep steps.

I did notice an explosion of lousewort (bracted) and bistort on the upper section as the sky started to lighten.  This is the third trail that I have noticed the large volume of both on trail this year.  Possibly a super bloom for these two species?

Avalanche lilies were also present and in abundance like most trails this year.

Knapsack Pass to Spray Park:  Snow melt is significant compared to other years in July.  Good and bad.  The bad is that once at Knapsack Pass, the drop down onto the typical snowfield present this time of year is a ton of loose rock and scree.  The trail is visible through the scree field.  This tends to settle as the trail is utilized throughout the summer.  For now, it was probably the largest and hardest hazard of the day.

About 200 ft down the scree field (fairly well defined trail) comes the first of 4 snowfields to cross.  With this year’s melt, the snowfields are easy to cross without any runout danger.  See the first pic where the 4 snowfields, trail and boot path can be seen.

The biggest issue is that instead of one large snowfield one normally has to cross this time of year, there are the four mentioned.  There was one set of boot prints for me this morning.  I checked my navigation.  The boot path was on line with the trail.  Hence I followed them through somewhat soft/icy snow through this section.  

I would recommend navigation for anyone doing this trail at any time.  Crossing either snowfields or boulder fields can be tough as there is not a well defined trail through this section.

Once past the 4 snowfields and intermittent boulder fields, the connector trail to Spray Park is visible and easy to follow.

Connector Trail and Spray Park:  There is still snow present at Spray Pass.  This is the junction of Cataract Valley trail and Echo Rock trail.  There are two distinct boot paths here.  As long as you know where you are going and choose the right boot path, all will be well. Otherwise the Spray Park trail is dry and snow free!

Wildflowers:  Multiple species at different locations along the trail.  Bistort, Lousewort (Mt Rainier), Lousewort (bird’s beak), Lousewort (bracted), magenta paintbrush, avalanche lilies (past prime) , Jeffry’s shooting star (one whole meadow full of them!), pasqueflower seedheads, beargrass, lupine (just starting to flower), white and pink mountain heather, dwarf goldenrod (higher elevation meadows are filled with them!), asters (just starting to flower), harebell (around the connector trail between knapsack pass and spray park), Jacob’s Ladder-elegant (below knapsack pass), penstemon, yellow fleabane, candysticks (lower forested section), columbine. I am sure there were more!

Wildlife:  There were 4 goats on the connector trail.  I sat and watched them for 30 minutes until they left the area and away from the trail.  The resident  cinnamon black bear was feasting on the avalanche lilies on the trail just before the snow near Spray Pass.  He/she was a joy to watch.  I observed for a while until they moved well away from the trail and I could head back down the trail.  

Item to note:  I didn’t see anyone until the last 2.0 miles before Mowich Lake.  Unfortunately, I heard the groups coming long before I actually saw them.  Both groups were screaming “hey bear” and clanging their hiking poles.  Between the two groups, the noise lasted close to an hour.  I do believe any wildlife was well gone in the first couple of minutes of the first group.  

Other than my last hour of my hike hearing the screams of “hey bear” and clanging hiking poles from other hikers, it was a great morning!

very little snow to cross at Spray & Seattle Parks: low consequence, easy booth paths. no navigation or micro spikes necessary. we carried all + poles wearing trail runners on way to Sunrise, didn’t use. 

July 7th is still the date for Mowich Lake Rd to open.  The good news is that spring grading is complete!

I took the Grindstone trail up to Mowich Lake and then on to the Spray Park trail. Made a quick stop at Spray Falls.

In short, the last part of the Spray Park trail still has a ton of snow.  Or should I say ice.  2 miles from the TH at Mowich Lake, is the first bit of snow.  Shortly thereafter, the trail is 90% covered in ice.  Microspikes weren’t helpful even though I put mine on.  

It felt like a hockey rink just cleaned by a zamboni.  Looking closer at the snow, it looks like there was a hail storm followed by rain and then a deep freeze.  Not sure how long it will take for the ice to melt.  I am personally going to give it a couple of weeks. 

I stopped about 500 ft before the junction with Cataract Valley/Echo Rock trails.  It was too steep and too icey.  My personal opinion is that I needed crampons to continue.  Ice ax as well.  I turned around and enjoyed my hike back.

Navigation is definitely needed for those who are not familiar with the trail. For those who are familiar, the trail appears enough every 200-300 feet if you know where to look.

Of the 10% of that last mile that is not snow/ice covered, most of the trail is covered in water.  It made for some great reflection shots for photography.  Not great for hiking. I hiked with wet/muddy feet most of the day.

The first 2 miles of the Spray Park trail from Mowich Lake TH are in great shape.  All blowdowns have been cleared.  There is a little water on this section of the trail from the heavily flowing streams.  Nothing difficult.

A small handful of avalanche lilies and red paintbrush just before the major snow.

Mowich Lake Rd is snow free as is the campground.

Grindstone trail has some boot sucking mud as I approached the last section up to the lake.  Enough so that I would probably try to bike up to the lake if I decide to go back up before the gate opens.

I saw a couple of goats hanging out by Hessong Rock. That was it for wildlife  today.  No bear signs anywhere.  There is a ton of very old cougar scat.  I don’t think anyone has ever seen a cougar in the area during spring, summer or fall on this trail. No one should worry.

I did not see anyone on trail all day.  I did see someone setting up camp at the CG on my way out.

FYI: Mowich Lake Rd. will be closing today at 5pm, October 16th..

Thought I would run up and catch one more easy sunrise off of Mt Pleasant before extra mileage is required.

I started on the Spray Park trail to the spur trail up to Mt. Pleasant.  Watched the sunrise on Mt Pleasant and headed down/east to the connector trail between Spray Park and Knapsack Pass trail.

I much prefer this hike in the early season and clockwise.  Traversing snowfields down from Knapsack Pass is much easier than navigating the boulder fields UP to Knapsack Pass.   I have done this trail enough, I knew the line I needed to take to get to the Pass.  It was just a lot of work climbing up the boulder field vs coming down a snowfield in the early season.

Once at the pass, I made a quick trip up to First Mother Mountain. Smoke was starting to obscure Mt Rainier enough it was hard to capture any decent pictures.

I then headed down to Mowich Lake.  All I can say is WOW!  Fall colors in this area were the best I have seen in the park this year.  Not sure if this area hangs on to a little more moisture than other areas making the colors pop and be more vibrant. The upper basin just west of Knapsack Pass stole the show today.

Mowich Lake Rd is in the best late season shape I have ever experienced.

This means that much more traffic, almost all are visiting Tolmie Peak Lookout, than typical during the late season.  I measured two miles of cars parked along the road for Tolmie Peak with more cars coming up the road.  Meanwhile the parking area around the lake was 75% full when I left. I am not even sure how that trail can take that much traffic safely.