we got walk up permits for three lakes on friday and saturday night - not our first choice, but it was only one of three spots available for the entire weekend. the trail is in great condition and the camp spots are nice with a pit toilet and bear pole. the lakes are pretty swampy with lots of mosquitos - not great for swimming. we were hoping the creek running into the lake would be running, but its dry this time of year, so we filtered water from the third lake just past the camp. we took a day trip from camp our second day out to two lakes along the PCT - highly recommend! epic views of rainier from the ridge and so many wildflowers in bloom - lupine, paintbrush, corn lilies, glacier lilies, heather, and more. round trip we hiked about 20 miles. 

Backpacked into Three Lakes Camp, had permits for Friday and Saturday evenings. All the snow and trees impeding the trail are gone and it’s a beautiful hike through the woods. A bit steep in places but not killer hard. GAIA clocked 6.5 miles with 2728 gain one way (see elevation profile in pic). We saw no one except our group until Saturday when we hiked up to the PCT (for Rainier views) and down to Crag Lake (for lunch and another swim). When we got back to Three Lakes Camp, the camp was full. Off duty ranger and friends were in the cabin (and thankfully installed the bear pole). The camp has 3 camp sites, 1 group and 2 regular, a nice outhouse, 3 lakes to gather water or take a swim, and ripe berries about 2 miles into the hike and beyond. YUM! We had a great time!

We knew that we'd hit snow and made that our turnaround point.  We reached the lake at 6 miles or got very near to it.  Snow was covering everything by then so we couldn't actually see it.  The hike was a tough workout.  There were trees down over the trail in many, 35! (we counted), locations. Some you could go under or around but the vast majority were a pretty puzzle to climb over.  These trees were HUGE.  Fun the first few times but wearing after a while.  Otherwise a pretty and enjoyable hike.

This was supposed to be one of our highlight trips of the year, one that involved months of planning along with complicated day-of logistics.  Did it come through?  Absolutely, but not in the ways we thought it would.

We had imagined this as a "cheaters" back pack along a pretty section of the PCT where much of the "elevation gain" would be of the negative type!  So months ahead we worked those computer buttons to secure a wilderness camping permit for Three Lakes in Mount Rainier.  We then planned on pairing that with an overnight at American Lake first for an easy, bring the kitchen sink, two night three day trip, using a car-to-car route starting at Chinook Pass and finishing near Stevens Canyon entrance with a distance of some twenty miles.

We were able to pick up our national park permit the day we started (as that was one day prior to our national park stay), but with packing and driving that meant, as we feared, we were immediately stuck in the hours long mid morning Friday line at the White Rive entrance - with Sunrise already full for the day.  Parking our cars roadside we hiked past the stalled congestion to the ranger station and picked up the golden ticket permit.  Walking back to our cars many asked what was the hold up, so I think the park service need to do a better job with what their one-in-one out policy for Sunrise means to people waiting.

Back on the road we soon we had one car parked roadside near the trail exit, and after circling the lot got a spot up at Tipsoo Lake for the other.  After a quick lunch we were on our way up to Chinook Pass and then down to Dewey Lake.  Crowds thinned as soon as we dropped off of Naches loop and it was lovely mostly shaded hiking all the way until the junction for the trail to American Lake.  No amazing views on this part but some serene meadows to look out over, and this was all new to us so always enjoyable.  Dropping down to the lake side we began that end of day cranky business of looking for a good site to camp.  A couple of other parties were already camped here on the meadows, but minding our LNT manners we found a designated spot just up on a short ridge immediately beyond the outlet bridge.  It even came with a lake view.  By now it was late in the day so we made camp and spent the evening exploring the lake shore and watching House Rock change color in the fading light.  It was a little cool with the breeze and no bugs, almost perfect.  There is no back country toilet here so be prepared, cat holes required and biodegradable TP allowed.  Something other prior campers obviously need to learn.

The following day we woke early to blue skies but could see a wall of smoke menacingly approaching down the valley from the north.  As our view of House Rock faded we packed up quickly and decided to make a game time decision back at the PCT junction.  Once there as the air was still well tolerable we decided heading south away from the smoke and with not much in the way of climbing was our best option.  And it really is some lovely trail although sadly all views were now obscured.  A little soft and/or narrow in places meaning poles were helpful to stay secure on parts with steeper drop offs, and all we met were a few solo section and PCT through hikers, everyone a character.  Flowers are all done and I did not see much in the way of berries.  At the junction at the the spur trail down to Two Lakes we met some llama supported hikers.  I got to pet the good looking trail beasts, they are so soft, and found out they were part of an amazing organization called https://passtopass.org/  Check them out if you are looking for a worthy cause for your hiking dollars.

The forecast had been for smoke to change to haze, but as we hiked along it was obvious that was overly optimistic as the drab gray veil was settling in.  Approaching the junction with the Laughing Creek trail we knew that with the smoke our second night of camping was a no-go so keeping our pace easy we dropped down the 1000 feet on rougher tread to Three Lakes.  We checked on our now unneeded camp site (it even had some camp furniture), and the out house (it had a door), insert crying emoji.  There is a ranger patrol cabin here and behind that is access to the lake where took an extended, boots off feet up, lunch break by the shore.  The smoke diffused sunlight made the whole vista glow with a gentle green light.  With the trees filtering the worst of the smoke and with no one else here we felt in no rush to leave this dream-like place. 

Fortified by lunch, advil and moleskin we paced ourselves for the last six miles.  Now in the national park the tread is good and the hike down not as onerous as I thought it would be.  Recent looking blow-downs have all been cleared and bridges more or less in tact, although based on the size of the cleared logs and wash-out debris this trail has seen some violent times.  Taking a few planned breaks we spotted the road announcing the trail's end well before I thought we would - how often does that happen on long hikes?  And we were done.

Two days, twenty miles of hiking and some sore feet.  It kind of reminded me of the end of "Where the Wild Things Are", .... and his dinner was still hot.