Tonga Ridge was a last minute choice for us, but we couldn't have chosen better. With the nice autumn nip in the air to start the hike it never got too hot, even out in the sun at the Mt Sawyer summit. Add in a proliferation of mushrooms and some fall colors and this was a great dayhike.
There is a primitive pit toilet just past the trailhead so we stopped in Skykomish to purchase snacks and take care of necessities. Following a LONG drive up the dirt roads we arrived at the trailhead a bit late and hit the trail at about 10:30. There were almost no bugs (other than a bunch of ladybugs buzzing around the summit) and we did not see any of the hornets mentioned in earlier reports. After the initial push uphill at the start the trail eased off and was easy going as it traversed below the ridge. Good thing, because our attention was as much on finding the many mushrooms along the trail as it was on the trail itself. Lots of variety (see pictures below) and some were plate-sized. Always fun to see them this time of year and I think the cool, damp weather has made conditions favorable.
The turn for Mount Sawyer came up at about the 2 mile point. Again there was an initial steep section straight up before it settled into some more reasonable switchbacks. As we climbed, the trees got thinner and the views out started, mostly to the south. There were more and more blueberry patches as we went up, but instead of berries, we were treated to a colorful display of red and purple leaves...food for the eyes instead of the belly. Our trail conditions were pretty good, for the most parts, but there was a section just shy of the top where there was a side slope to the trail. It might get a bit slippery when the rains come.
Views from the summit were great. The primary view is to the south with Mt Daniel to the left, Hinman to it's right, and then Overcoat, Chimney Rock and Summit Chief in the distance to the south. There was even a peak of the top of Mt Rainier a bit more to the right. We ate lunch and wandered around a bit to find viewpoints in other directions. Nice views were to the west, including Mt Baring, Gunn Peak and Merchant Peak, and to the north where Glacier Peak dominated, but also Sloan Peak and the Monte Cristo group were visible.
The trip down was nice, with the sun lowering and the colors along the trail popping even more. We got back to the car at 5:00, heading back down that dirt road. Trip stats were 6.8 miles, 1600 feet gained, and about 500 pictures between the three of us.
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