What a beautiful hike! Tolmie Peak was recommended by a friend and it turned out to be a wonderful recomendation. The hike is pretty short, but the beautiful views make up for the long drive. The guide books say that the drive is worse than it is. The last 15 miles is dirt and dusty but it's very passable. The hike is a wonderful mix of alpine lakes and open ridges. We were a mixed ability group and it took us about 4 hours round-trip and that included a stop for a swim in the very cold Eunice Lake along the way and an admiring of the view for about half an hour on top. The trail is in excellent condition and is highly recommended if you're looking for amazing views and not too strenuous a hike. And as an added bonus we saw several deer on the trail.

Today was one of those crystal clear days that made Mt. Rainier irrestible. We ventured over Washington's longest stretch of washboard road to get to Mowich Lake. As always, the trail was in excellent shape but rooty and rocky in a few stretches. On the way up we saw a deer and family of grouse to go along with the human wildlife. Eunice Lake was placid and beautiful but the real treat is the view from the lookout. There were no clouds to obscure Mt. Rainier and it was majestic. Views to the south showed Mt. St. Helens with a steam cloud coming out. Mt. Stuart and the Stuart range were clear to the north. The Olympics were visable but hazed in a bit. This is a great short hike that even a bad approach road does not spoil.

This must be the peak of the season at Mowich Lake as 90 cars were parked at the end of the road on a brillant sunny, Saturday. We were surprised that the crowd spread out to Spray Park, Eunice Lake and many just stayed at Mowich. The bugs were not bad, the trail is in good shape and there is a nice variety of flowers along the trail.

For the conclusion of our post-wedding hiking, we took the short (5.5 mile roundtrip) hike to Tolmie Peak Lookout. We started at Mowich Lake Campground, hiking along the west shore of Mowich Lake and reaching Ipsut Pass in about 1 mile. We then climbed another mile or so through the forest to reach Eunice Lake and its columnar cliffs. The lake was delightfully cold after the hot hike up. It was another .8 or .9 mile up, through a flowering meadow, to the Tolmie Peak Lookout, where we enjoyed lunch and the views of Rainier, St Helens, the Olympics, Glacier, and Baker. In keeping with our leisurely pace of the week, it took us about 5.5 hours to cover the 5.5 miles. The trail was in great shape and there were a few bugs.

To Tolmie Peak, I hiked on the summer solstice. Avalanche lilys start the moment you step out of the car and continue in mass until just short of the peak. So many! A nice swath of smilacinas may be found about halfway up trail. At charming Eunice Lake, you'll find both avalanche and glacier lilys, bright yellow buttercup, white marsh marigold, lush pink heather, and lupine just starting. Further up trail, beargrass is about to bloom. Sedum, saxifrage, bistort, and more loll about the talus slopes where pika play. This hike is snow free to the summit. Can't say how wonderful the view was, as it was socked in cloudy (again) but pictures seem to suggest that the view from the lookout is gorgeous. A nice rolling hike that's not too long, not too steep and terribly pretty.