A forecast for moderate temperatures, clear skies, and minimal wildfire smoke was a call to return to the mountains, this time with a day hike to the enchanting Thunder Mountain Lakes area.

Road:  The forest road to the Tunnel Creek trailhead was very rough and narrow.  Large potholes were filled with water such that you couldn't tell how deep they were.  I was thinking the larger potholes could swallow a Prius, but found them only a few inches deep.  Still, I was glad to have a high clearance SUV on this road, and impressed to see at least one sedan at the trailhead.  8 cars were at the trailhead at 7:45 a.m. on a Thursday, and 10 cars at 5:00 p.m. (there probably is room near the trailhead for about 15 cars).

Trail: There is no warm up on this hike as the Tunnel Creek trail immediately hits you with a steady uphill climb, gaining about 1300 feet in 1.5 miles, with a few large step-ups where hiking poles help.  45 minutes later I was catching my breath at Hope Lake while I pondered my next move.  Left or north on the PCT takes you to Mig Lake in about 0.8 miles and with 200 feet elevation gain.  But my destination of Thunder Mountain Lakes meant I was heading south 4 miles to Trap Pass -- right turn it is. 

The PCT runs in and out of the forest, giving sections of shade and meadow views, and is never too steep.  A few wildflowers persisted in the sunnier sections, and huckleberries and blueberries are just starting to ripen.  The best views come as you approach Trap Lake and climb to Trap Pass.  This section of the PCT took me 2 hours.

At Trap Pass, you turn south off of the PCT and follow a boot path to Thunder Mountain Lakes.  The first 0.5 miles winds through the forest along the ridge, and then steeply climbs out of the forest and into a granite field.  The last 1 mile of the trail wasn't always visible among the granite field, so I was frequently checking GPS and looking for cairns, and this slowed my hiking pace (about 1 hour from Trap Pass to Thunder Mountain Lakes).

Your payoff for the effort is a wonderful, crystal clear alpine lake in a granite setting, nearly 360° views of the Cascades (Glacier Peak, Mount Baker, Nimbus Mountain, Square Lake, Mac Peak, numerous granite spires, and much more), and lots of solitude (I only saw 2 other hikers during my 3+ hours in the Thunder Mountain Lakes area). 

Some numbers: Including an afternoon side trip to Mig Lake, GPS recorded 16 miles and 4100 feet elevation gain.  Encountered 15 hikers on the PCT in the morning, and 5 in the afternoon.  A few pika were chirping in the talus fields, and saw a lot of fish surfacing in Trap Lake (and one person fly fishing).

The first day we hike to Trap Lake from via the Tunnel Creek Trail head.  It was rainy most of the day.

The next day we hiked in the fog to Thunder Mountain lake.  Even with the dense fog, it wasn't too hard to find the route to the lake.  You can see our path with the Topo Maps+ link below.  When you first come off of the PCT, the path was pretty slippery until we got up to the boulder fields.

The third day we went up the peak to the north of the lake and then explored the area.

The last day we hiked out in the rain.

Excellent hike, even in the fog. The fog lifted by the time we got to the lakes and then was fog-free on the descent. The boulder fields were super fun. We also saw several marmots, just living their best life. The lake was def worth it.

I found a blue towel hidden under a boulder. If it's yours, email me at catherinep at duck dot com.