Tolmie Peak Lookout - Eunice Lake — Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2017

This hike was incredible. I know I have some more hikes to cover, but I can't imagine a better view of Mt. Rainier. We could not have asked for better weather, and by the time we reached the lookout, there were only a few wisps of clouds, allowing us to see for miles. I had read in some of the reports that bugs were pretty bad, but we did not have a problem. We did put a layer of "Off" on before we started, so that might have helped, but really all we experienced were a few large flies/bees that buzzed by quickly. This hike has one of the best payoffs I have experienced. The last mile from the lake to the lookout is pretty steep (my glutes and hamstrings are burning today!), but you get an INCREDIBLE view the entire way up, and are surrounded by gorgeous wildflowers that completely take your mind off of the climb. We hiked on a Tuesday morning, starting about 11am, and there were maybe 20ish people spread out at the top. The trail was not too crowded, and we definitely had moments of quiet and solitude. As far as the road conditions, there is 15 miles of pretty rough gravel right before you get to the trailhead. We didn't experience any huge potholes, but there are some ridges in the gravel and some of the tracks from previous cars that have created some rolling bumps. I would definitely recommend a high-clearance vehicle.