[Solo Steve]

This Mt. Rainier National Park hike was no. 2 on my Hike-A-Thon schedule. I was supposed to be accompanied by my daughter, but she wasn’t feeling up to it. Having done this hike last year at this time, and knowing that I would have lots of company on a sunny Sunday, I felt comfortable going it alone. I arrived at Mowich Lake just after noon via the Mowich Lake Road from SR 165. For a gravel road, it’s not too bad, although it is very rutted in spots. About six miles short of the lake is the Paul Peak trailhead, where you can pay your day use fee if you don’t have an annual pass and use the vault toilet. (There are also chemical toilets at the end of the road at Mowich Lake Camp.) When we did this hike last year, I remember coming to a junction and a sign pointing the way to Ipsut Pass. We passed it by since we were anxious to get to the lake. But on this day I had time to spare, so I took the very short detour and had a snack and looked down at the massive valley below. I also pondered how much effort it must take for counter-clockwise Wonderland Trail hikers to get up to this point from the valley floor with a full pack! Continuing from Ipsut Pass, you’ll lose then gain altitude until you reach Eunice Lake. Here there are several social trails leading to picnic and swimming spots on the South end of the lake, including a large flat rock in a shallow, sandy lagoon. I had the spot all to myself and ate lunch while wading in the cold water. If you want to train for the climb from Eunice Lake to Tolmie Peak Lookout, find a 50-story building and climb the stairs from the street to the roof! The gain is about 500’ over .6 miles of rocky, dusty trail, but there are several stair-steps to soften the grade. And what a view at the top -- even better than I remember from last year! I forced myself not to look to the right, knowing that Rainier was over there and it wasn’t going away. Left was the entire Carbon River Valley, and peaks to the far North I could barely see but could not identify. And total silence except for a light breeze and some birdsong. It’s just a little further from hear to the lookout. (This is an operating fire watchtower, so be respectful of the Forest Service personnel if it’s manned during your visit.) Even the photographically-challenged can’t go wrong here on a clear day. Just point your camera toward Rainier and start experimenting. Turn the camera sideways so you can get Eunice Lake in the foreground, Mowich Lake in the midground, and the mountain dominating the background. Put your hiking partner in a couple of shots. Do the neighborly thing and offer to take some photos of other groups with their cameras -- they’ll do the same for you! The blackflies were thick, but I don’t believe I saw a single mosquito. This being a heavily-used National Park trail, there were no fallen trees crossing the trail and no significant mud. It does get rocky and rooty, though. One guidebook suggested that the rocks and roots make the trail unsuitable for children. I don’t agree with that -- I think the kind of kids who will be able to make the 2.5-mile, 700’ of gain hike to the lake are precisely the kind of kids who will appreciate the adventure of finding a path over and around the trouble spots. And Eunice Lake makes for a great turnaround spot if you’re not interested in the climb up to the lookout.

Tolmie Peak Lookout from Eunice Lake

Eunice Lake, Mowich Lake and Mt. Rainier

Eunice Lake and Mt. Rainier

Steve on Tolmie Peak

High above Eunice Lake

Lookout from Tolmie Peak