If you think a little thunder and lightning can deter us from our weekly hike, you’ve got another think coming. The rain wasn’t originally predicted to arrive until the following day, but some small storms showed up near Rainier the morning of our hike to Three Lakes. We checked the NP website for alerts and the weather radar for good measure, stuffed our rain jackets in our packs, and set off as usual.
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| TBGuide forecasts the distance. |
As you can see from the TBG’s attire (note the fancy new socks) although it was stormy, it was not cold. Neither was it hot, but obviously it was humid. 100% humidity, to be precise, as we made our way up through the trees. During the rainiest time, we took a break under cover of the large trees, and canoodled for a bit until it passed.
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| Not one of the three lakes. |
If you look closely, you can see the rain dimpling the surface of the water. It remained gray and soggy for most of the trip up, and we were treated to several lightning flashes and thunder bumpers along the way. Did I just say “treated” in reference to rain about which I’m often complaining as a resident of the PNW? Yes, yes I did, and it’s because this rain was finally going to help clear out the terribly stagnant and smoky air we’ve been suffering under the past few weeks.
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| Soaked! |
The rain stopped for good about two-thirds of the way in, but the water on the vegetation continued to soak my pants, and I employed the roll-em-up feature. Say, is that a new backpack? Indeed, it is, and now I shall digress to tell you about it.
Last weekend, we went to REI in search of a new backpack for me. I tried several, becoming frustrated at them not fitting properly, until a knowledgeable employee showed me some things I never knew about backpack straps. If you think you know everything about backpack straps just because you’ve been wearing backpacks for years, again, you’ve got another think coming. For instance, the waist strap doesn’t go around your waist at all, and they should quit calling it a waist strap immediately. I finally found one I liked a lot, but they only had it in Iris Blue or Mystic Magenta. Those colors sound lovely, but in person they are an obnoxiously bright blue and hot pink. No, thank you very much! We left the store feeling a bit defeated.
Once home, TBG got online to explore further, and found the same backpack in last year’s model (better price) in a color combo I found much more to my liking (an Osprey in Stormcloud Gray.) When it arrived, it seemed oddly familiar, and I finally realized it is the same brand and color as the new waist pack I got earlier in the year. They should also immediately cease calling waist packs waist packs because it leads people to believe you wear them around your waist, and you most certainly do NOT. Anyhow, I now have matching gear, which, if you’ve been paying attention to me at all, you know sends me into paroxysms of joy. So much so that I ran into the garage to retrieve my “waist” pack and set it next to the backpack just so I could gaze at them admiringly for a little while. I love them both so much. Now back to your regularly scheduled post.
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| This trail allows horses, a NP rarity. |
We didn’t encounter any other people on the way up, but we saw several little froggies, chipmunks, and one beautiful doe quietly standing in the now sun-dappled forest.
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| Anyone home? |
Six miles in, at two of the three lakes, sits the well-maintained patrol cabin, the two campsites, and the toilet — a traditional-looking outhouse affair, the door of which you must leave open if you don’t want to do your business in complete darkness.
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| One. |
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| Two. |
The third lake lies another half-mile from these two. We didn’t go see it, although, in retrospect, we kinda wish we had. Instead, we dried out in the sun and enjoyed a very peaceful lunch break at the cabin. If it had been a hot day, we might’ve dipped our toes in the water.
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This merganser thinks it was plenty warm. |
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| Drier than they used to be. |
Wondering if this might be our second-only hike to not see other people, we set off on the return journey. The arrival of the sun, however, meant the arrival of other hikers, but only 10 total, which meant the way down was just about as serene as the way up.
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| The most beautiful place. |
The above pic cannot do this section of the trail any justice whatsoever. TBG didn’t have his good camera (out of commission temporarily for some dust removal) but even if he had, it couldn’t have captured the feeling of the terrain here. The widely spaced trees and the soft green moss covering the ground gave it such an ethereal quality. It was amazing, both on the way up when the skies were gray, and later in the sunshine.
Through cobwebs and rain, sore feet and aching muscles, and all the actual strife the world over, we never forget how fortunate we are to have these experiences. Thanks once again for coming along, and I hope you find some fortune wherever you are.