White Pass to Chinook Pass, Three Lakes via Laughingwater Creek & Eastside Trail — Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019

     This is a classic 3 day, 32 mile loop trip, beginning at Tipsoo Lake, heading south on the PCT to Laughingwater Creek, down to the Grove of the, then up the Eastside Trail and back to Tipsoo Lake. Or it could be done in reverse, like the young woman ‘Scuffles’ who started at the Laughingwater Creek traihead, then hiked north on the PCT, and back south on the Eastside Trail (I met her both coming and going).

      Park Service camping permits are easily reserved for both Three Lakes about a mile and a half below the PCT junction on the Laughingwater Creek trail and at Deer Creek about 7 miles up from Silver Falls (I was the only one both nights). The large, eastern most of the 3 lakes was a great swim – firm bottom and warm water. I met no one at all on the Laughingwater Creek trail, nor on the Eastside trail once I got a short ways above the Grove of the Patriarchs (a nice touristy side trip – 1000 year old firs and cedars). Both of these trails are in outstanding condition, even better than the PCT, except for a few spots on the Eastside trail above Deer Creek (a few mudholes, some short, steep and poorly defined switchbacks, wet brush, one fallen tree). I hiked through valley thick fog in the mornings, which gave way to sun and a few distant rumbles of thunder late in the afternoons. My first day was about 12 miles, second day 15 miles, and last day 5 miles, all very moderate or flat except for the 2400’ elevation gain the last day.

     Notable occurrence: I saw three elk splashing and bathing in the first small lake below the PCT on the Laughingwater Creek trail. There were even elk trails crossing the Eastside trail not far below Tipsoo Lake. Also, the Naches Loop was full of tourists oohing and ahing at Mt Rainier, and the PCT was full of section hikers, even one early thru hiker. The PCT is very close to the actual crest in this section, yielding many good views of Rainier, plus an abundance of the wildflowers for which ‘Paradises’ is so well known.