Total Distance: 6.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 2300 ft.
Time: 11:20 am ~ 2:25 pm
Weather: Rainy, cloudy, overcast, cold.
For the second week in a row, I was going out in the backcountry alone. But the difference this week was that I was really alone. Last week, when I got to the trail head I could barely find a place to park. I spent most of my time hiking within earshot of other hikers on the way to Granite Mountain. I remember thinking, if something bad happens to me, there are plenty of people around to help. This week the trail head was empty. I was totally alone in the woods. No person was in this section of Mt. Rainier National Park except me. It was nice.
The 3.0 mile hike up to Upper Crystal Lake was good. It was rainy, but it's October in the Pacific Northwest, so I better get used to it. I maintained a pace that got me there just a few minutes after the hour and a half mark. I had hiked the entire time, taking no breaks. The whole time I was climbing up, I kept thinking about swimming in the lake when I got there. And if I was still completely alone, I was going to go skinny dipping. Within the first 30 minutes I was hiking in the clouds and fog. It limited visibility, but I got to focus on the beauty around me. I didn't see any "big, scary" wildlife, but there were tons of birds. All sorts, I wish I knew more about birds, so I could share the different types. I can only say that as I climbed, I was serenaded by lots of different calls and saw many jumping from tree to tree.
When I got to the lake, it was socked in with fog. I could barely see more than the immediate shore. I did see 6 geese starting a swim off the shore. They quickly disappeared into the fog. I walked along the east shore, trying to find a good place to jump or wade in. But as I slowly walked around the lake, the chilly weather got to me, and I chose not to swim. The fog lifted a little, and I was going to snap a picture. When I went to turn on the camera, I discovered the battery was dead. I was bummed to not get a photo for the blog. As I went to put the camera back up, I noticed I was right next to some animal scat. I thought it was bear, but I just looked up bear scat on Google and did not find a similar image.
I walked over to the campsites on the west side of the lake and ate my snacks. I brought a stove to cook lunch, but my Snickers, almonds, and sour patch kids proved to be enough. After about 30 minutes, I was cold and ready to leave, but I told myself to stay a little longer and enjoy being out in the woods. Within 5 minutes the fog lifted, and I got to see Upper Crystal Lake in its glory. Wow, I am coming back sometime when the weather is warmer. It was beautiful, wish I had charged my camera.
The hike out took less than a hour. I was proud of my pace.
Orchid: When the fog temporarily lifted and I got to see the entire lake.
Onion: Finding my camera uncharged.
Google Map
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