Naches Peak Loop — Friday, Aug. 1, 2008

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon

A gorgeous day on one of my favorite wildflower hikes. The flowers aren't quite at their peak yet, but still plenty of color and blooms. Scads of avalanche lilies in full bloom at lower elevations. The bear grass at the top of the loop was gorgeous -- lots of them in full bloom, surrounded by bracketed lousewort not yet fully blooming. The lupine and paintbrush are just starting to show their colors. (A ranger on the trail said that things were just starting on this trail, but that everything was at its peak at Sunrise.) There's still some snow on the trail and some muddy spots, but not a problem to get over. Only a few mosquitoes. We went clockwise on the trail, hoping for glimpses of the mountain, but no luck. Still, a gorgeous day with plenty of flowers.