Talapus and Olallie Lakes, Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake — Sunday, Jun. 13, 2004

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

Finally made it up for the Talapus-to-Mason dayhike, prompted by reports of halfway decent weather, after being thoroughly rained out during my attempt over the holiday weekend. Hit the trail around 9:30 amid occaisional sprinkles and made good time, stopping here and there along the way. The trail was snow-free but very muddy and wet all the way to the Pratt Lake turn-off, but was in great shape after that until decending into the valley around Island and Rainbow Lakes. Hit the first real snow patches at that point, but nothing requiring any creative navigation. Several of these pop up along the trail through the valley, but since these are the last hold-outs of the season, and thus still fairly thick, postholing wasn't a problem. When I reached the Island Lake turn-off I decided it would be a good time to put on the gaiters and raingear. This proved fortuitous, since I had no sooner done so when I was buffetted by rain, wind, sleet and snow-- all at once. Made a brief and soggy stop at Rainbow, remembering the similar downpour the time I first set eyes upon the little lake, and continued on to Mason, arriving at around 1:15. I was just finishing lunch at about 1:45 when clouds rushed in from both east and west, then promptly burst into a steady deluge causing me to bug-out and head back to the car. The storm follwed me most the way back to the Pratt cut-off before the rain finally let up. Afterwards I was even taunted by a few sun breaks and patches of blue sky until I made it back to the car at around quarter to five. All in all a good time, very few people and only a couple cars in the parking lot.