[geyer]

Dates: October 1-3, 2022 Distance: ~31 miles Accum. Elevation Gain: 7600' Peaks: none [gasp] Lakes: Rainbow Lake,tarns, Dee Dee Lakes, South Lakes, Mystery tarn Total Humans Seen: +/-10 6th Annual Surafel + Eve + Brad larch hunt! The larches were still not at prime for this trip, though they were getting close above 7k feet. It was an odd year given that it was October and I was wearing shorts and wishing that I was also wearing a sleeveless shirt... Year 1: Eve's report. Year 2. Year 3. Year 4. Year 5 Day 1: Bridge Creek to Rainbow Ridge Distance: 12.2 miles Elevation Gain: 3700' The hike in from bridge creek isn't long, but it is tedious. Not the best views or most interesting forest. Almost makes you feel bad for PCT hikers that they don't get to experience the best of Washington. Things finally get interesting once reaching McAlester Pass. There is a lot of red blueberry carpet on Rainbow Ridge but you don't reach the real prize until hitting the plateau under Rainbow Peak. (I knew from experience two years ago).

Day 2: Rainbow Ridge to Dee Dee Lakes to South Lakes Distance: 7.5 miles Elevation Gain: 2200' We had a few destinations in mind for day 2, but ended up choosing a loop to the relatively unknown South Lakes via south Pass with a side trip to Dee Dee Lakes. Good thing we took packs off at South Pass to go to Dee Dee because we probably would have ended up staying the night there (it's also in the NRA but semantics...) After the first steep off-trail section when leaving the South Creek Trail, the rest become relatively flat and easy larch-filled boulder hopping until reaching the uppermost of the South Lakes, which does not appear on Caltopo. It was also the larchiest. . We got here around 2pm and were just content to relax around the lake. Maybe we're getting old or our jobs are just hacking away at our motivations to expend extra effort, but it was very unlike us to pass up an obscure peakbagging mission (Banshee and Mystery Tarn Peaks were nearby). The down time felt nice though.

Day 3: South Lakes to Mystery Tarn to the car Distance: 10.9 miles Elevation Gain: 1700' The next day we waited for the sun to light up the basin before packing up and heading our over the bass between Banshee (7628) and the high point west of the mystery tarn. This was the surprise of the trip. To the NE was a mind-boggling view of the rugged WA Pass peaks. To the west was an even more mind-blowing panorama of several Washington giants: Bonanza, Glacier, Bowen, Dome, McGregor, Johannesburg, Booker, Goode, Logan. I love coming up over a ridge and being surprised with mega-views and this had to have been one of the best surprise viewpoints I've come across. Absolutely stunning. The only thing that would have made it better would have been clearer air.

[rubywrangler]

Ha when I picked up a permit in Marblemount on Friday the ranger said they've been getting a lot of requests for Rainbow Ridge! Looks like you guys had better air quality than we did.

[Bootpathguy]

[zimmertr]

WA at it's best, thanks for sharing

[jaysway]

[raising3hikers]

Looks like another successful larch trip, your pics are awesome

[ozzy]

Man oh man!! WOW...what a sick little area! I had no idea about this place, it looks f### phenomenal! Hell of a TR and pics again Geyer! Cheers brotha!