We had an amazing time today at Heather Maple Pass. We decided to stop at Bridge Creek trailhead, which is 1.5 miles down the road to use the bathroom. Nice and clean. While we were there we made the decision to just stay parked there and hop on the PCT and hike to the Heather Maple Pass Trailhead. The pct is mostly dirt tread and easy. There are 2 log bridges and one slightly rocky area where we saw a pika holding a spring everlasting flower and it was a highlight of our day! Once you get up to rainy pass there is a roped off footpath for access to both Rainy Lake and Heather Maple Pass. We went counter clockwise and that side was much more enjoyable. Easy tread in the forest and the rocky areas aren’t bad. We did see a few larches turning color, which was fun! So many colors. Every color of the rainbow is on this hike including a few purple harebells and thistle. We found lots of ripe berries in a few places, too. Another highlight for us was seeing a rainbow in the valley to the northwest. The views are amazing! The way down was steep and seemed to take forever until the last half mile before you meet up with Rainy Lake Trail. I can see why people love this trail so much but I wouldn’t want to be here with hoards of people. Lots of people on trail but enough to give us breathing room, too. It was cold and windy at the top and we had a few sprinkles. Not much sunshine.
Just remember to take your trash, especially your dog poop bags. There are so many down by the trailhead.
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