Ran a quick overnighter atop Noble Knob with the wife and pooch. The drive up is a bit...fun?...but if you have a decent AWD or high clearance car, you shouldn't have any issues. The drop offs can be anxiety producing.
Upon reaching the trailhead (6 mile drive), there were about 8 cars. For a sunny Saturday, not too bad. Everyone is pretty chipper at the trailhead with a clear, sunny day ahead.
I'm sure the trip reports note the dust. That's a distinguishing feature of this trip. The trail is quite dusty. With the sun bearing down (roughly 80 this day), the dust, mixed with ash can get quite toasty for the pooch. My dog was heavily panting on this hike and after touching the trail, we put his booties on. Oh, and you'll be strolling through the burnt remains of the 2019 fire. Opened up more views but the devastation is vast.
Encountered quite a few there-and-back day hikers on the easy-going ridgeline hike. Nice to see families with kids enjoying an outing. When pausing to chat with the passers by, you notice the mosquito issue. That kept us on the move to Noble Knob.
As for wayfinding. Nice signage along the way. Once you get to a minor pass (.5 mile to noble knob). marked by full view of Noble knob, you'll descend down the dusty trail and it veers hard left - seemingly towards another ridge hike. Take it. Otherwise there are vague trails going further down the pass and we took it - forcing a bit of a boulder scramble and slight bushwack to get back to the main trail.
The last push up to Noble Knob reveals a couple lovely lakes below. We towed extra water to spend the night atop the Knob but if we were in a pinch, a quick scramble to one of the lakes is certainly feasible.
There is one prime campspot near the summit. You can't miss it. We saw two subsequent backpackers show up disappointed. As we settled at our campspot, the mosquitos circled around us. I'd call it annoying, but not extreme. Somehow I pulled in 10+ bites through my sweaty shirt. We cranked up some mosquito deterrence but had to spend an hour or two in the tent. Otherwise, stunning view of mt rainier and all her glory. Peaceful with soft evening winds and still forming clouds pushing over the Noble Knob.
Recommend for an intro backpacking trip, dog-friendly retreat or a less crowded trail just outside Mt Rainier.
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