Little Ranger Peak via Ranger Creek — Wednesday, May. 8, 2024

We had a great hike on the Little Ranger Peak trail today. Parking for this hike is on the shoulder of Hwy 410 just north of the FS Road 7160. It was 35 degrees with mostly sunny skies when we pulled up at 8:50. No toilet facility or trail sign here. Once you head up the trail you intersect with the White River Trail for a 1/3 mile or so before going left uphill on the Little Ranger Peak trail. The entire trail was saturated, soft, duff soil. This trail is multi-use so evidence of mountain bikers creating their own pathway down on several switchbacks. The trail has long winding switchbacks in the evergreen understory. Several spring wildflowers are in bloom - calypso orchid, oregon grape, Douglas violets and vanilla leaf in the first couple miles of the trail. A few pine drops were still standing tall from last summer. Our destination for the day was the side spur to the viewpoint trail at 3 miles. The viewpoint is a precarious pointed rock where you need to be a mountain goat to snag more than a peak-a-boo view of the White River Valley or Mt Rainier. We were able to find spots with sun filtering through to sit down for a lunch rest break. With the dense forest this was the most sun we saw all day. If you want solitude this trail is for you. We didn’t see another hiker the entire time we were out. Helicopter activity could be heard for the last 2+ hours over at the Buck Creek airstrip. Most likely doing practice training of some sort. Wildlife sighting was limited to a wren singing close to the trailhead. We packed up and headed down at 11:50, arriving back to our vehicles just after 1:00. Another fantastic day out in nature with friends.