The Katwalk never fails to deliver a good workout with great views. tl;dr - Sweeping views, fun cloud action, fall color and berries at higher elevation.
There were a handful of cars at the parking lot, I was expecting to see more given ease of access to the trail. The restrooms are in great shape and well stocked.
I intended to run the trail but ended up with a run/hike combo - the first few miles were wet and slick in places after the morning rain. The trail is in great condition with a couple of small water crossings before the first open talus slope. The blueberries bushes past this area are past prime for color and berries. The sumacs and ferns are still in peak color. You can hear water but there are no stream crossings as the trail goes back into old growth forest. I didn't see any deer today but the pikas and chipmunks were out everywhere. Kendall Gardens is lush with fall colors, backed by Lundin Peak and Red Mountain. The sumacs are resplendent here and there is plenty of blueberries for the picking. Looking back, the clouds obscured views of Rainier but the inversion layer made for some fun photos.
The Katwalk area trail is dry and solid, opening up to great views of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. However, it got pretty smoky by this point and the views just got hazier further along. I was hoping to get to the lakes but the smoke and several instances of fresh bear scat convinced me to turn around about 3/4 mile past the Katwalk.
The trail was unusually quiet and empty, I saw all of 6 people the entire time. It was great to get another fall hike in before the rain rolls in tomorrow.
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