Gobblers Knob — Friday, Aug. 20, 2010

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise

I set out to complete this hike which we had tried in early July but were not able to complete because of snow. I parked at the gate at the end of the Westside road just inside the Mount Rainier Nisqually entrance at noon straight up. The day was beautiful with broken clouds and a trail-head temperature of about 72 degrees. I proceeded through the recent washout area and wound around about three miles to Round Pass where the Lake George trail is lightly marked onthe left. The real hike begins here with a steady climb up the short distance to Lake George. I expected, but did not encounter too many bugs. Perhaps the consistant light breeze was keeping them in check. From Lake George, the trail steepens. You gain about 1500 feet in elevation in 1.6 miles of hiking. Again, the temperatures were conducive to the extreme effort having dropped to mid 60's. The last little pitch at the top of the trail seemed very rocky and intimidating but was actually quite navigable. The view from the top did not dissapoint. Rainier dominates the 360 degree panorama. Saint Helens was clearly in view. Adams is obscured by an adjacent hill. I was unable to make out Hood due to the hazy atmosphere, but on a clearer day, I am sure you could see it. Overall, the trail is in great shape but next time I will try to get an earlier start. This is not a trail for children as it is pretty exposed on the upper reaches. Even though I was able to rest at the top for 30 minutes without any apparent bugs, I would reccomend bringing repellant. Also bring plenty of water. This time of year there is none on the trail except Lake George and even with filtration - yuck!