I see that 2 others have submitted a report from yesterday, so I'll keep it short & sweet! I started from the campground so I could get some shots of Mowich Lake. The weather was gorgeous, and the ice & snow was melting off the trees pretty rapidly. Once in the woods I had to put on my hat because I was getting "rained on" from all the meltwater. The snow & ice wasn't bad going to Eunice Lake, but there were a couple patches on the trail up to the fire tower that were legitimately slippery. I hung out at the top waiting for Rainier to show herself, but never got the full monty. Gorgeous view nonetheless, and the back side of Tolmie remained dusted with snow. The narrow ridge leading to the actual peak was a bit dicey. Choose your steps wisely! I started heading back after 3:00, and it was a slop fest. My boots & pants got pretty mucky and I had a couple near slips from all the mud.... But mud is fun too. 😊

What a wonderful hike for beginner/intermediate hikers. The peak offered wonderful views of the cloud layer, Eunice Lake, Mowich Lake, and Mt Ranier. The trail had to offer the last bits of fall color, waterfalls, plenty of animal tracks, and rainforest. This hike was muddy and wet near water crossings and around Eunice Lake. The last mile was the most intimidating with intermittent ice, hoar frost, and 1-2 inches of easily traversed snow at the higher elevations. Low clearance vehicles were making it down the unpaved road slowly and cautiously. In my Honda ridgeline I had plenty of clearance and it was a comfortable ride with only a handful of sections where potholes were unavoidable. A high clearance vehicle is reccomended but was not necessary.

What a wonderful hike for beginner/intermediate hikers. The peak offered wonderful views of the cloud layer, Eunice Lake, Mowich Lake, and Mt Ranier. The trail had to offer the last bits of fall color, waterfalls, plenty of animal tracks, and rainforest. This hike was muddy and wet near water crossings and around Eunice Lake. The last mile was the most intimidating with intermittent ice, hoar frost, and 1-2 inches of easily traversed snow at the higher elevations. Low clearance vehicles were making it down the unpaved road slowly and cautiously. In my Honda ridgeline I had plenty of clearance and it was a comfortable ride with only a handful of sections where potholes were unavoidable. A high clearance vehicle is reccomended but was not necessary.

A great fall day for a hike up to Tolmie Peak Fire LO. Not crowded at all. TH parking lot was full, but very few people on the trail to the LO. Weather was perfect. The trail wasn't as steep as I anticipated from reading previous hike reports. All in all another great hike.