I’m calling this wonderful hike the Three Lakes loop, Deadwood, Sheep and Upper Crystal. There is a cross country section that requires good trail finding/navigational skills.
Start on the Crystal Lake trail and at 1.5 miles go left at the sign post to Crystal Peak. The trail continues in a southerly direction ascending the flank of the peak and you can look forward to oodles of blueberries up the way a bit.
Enjoy the views that open up as you clear the trees.Now look at your map and note where your current southerly trend turns to a northerly direction. It’s at this zig zag that you leave the trail to the peak and start cross country. At first the trail is well defined but quickly disintegrates and at that point I allowed the goat tracks to guide me. Occasionally a more defined trail would appear. Let the map be your guide from here on out.
Deadwood Lakes are beautiful and feel remote, they are in the Mt Rainier Wilderness. I wandered along the lake shores enjoying the scene, the sun and the cool breeze and the absence of biting bugs. There were plenty of other insects going about their business.
I used my sense of where I thought the trail out might be.Basically head north west from the upper lake into the trees and find the trail, which is steep and dusty but gets the job done. At the col you can look down on Hway 410 and even see the car park for the Sheep lake trail. A trail contours off to the west but you want to take the left hand trail that starts descending and meets the PCT. Turn left on the PCT/Sheep Lake trail. A nice easy grade to Sheep Lake where the breeze was cool but the sun still shining.
From here continue on the the well graded PCT to Sourdough Gap and on to the col above Crystal Lakes- remembering not to go right at the junction where the PCT splits off.
As you go down the trail you re enter Mt Rainier NP and on a clear day can see the mountain.Today the clouds had come in and obscured the view but the nearby scene was gorgeous with late flowers and seed heads. Upper Crystal Lake as lovely as ever under cloudy skies.
The descent from the Lakes was fine and there were several people out for a late afternoon stroll.
Sobrief stats, started at Crystal Lake TH 9.12 returned at 6.15. Twenty minute breaks at each lake and numerous photo stops and berry picking snacks.
e
Comments