I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of people on this trail for a holiday! You don't need any parking pass, great views, berries, not too far of a drive from Seattle, but I only saw 8 people! The trail is in such good condition, not rocky at all, so you can really cruise along. I found it way easier than Gothic Basin/ Foggy Lake, which is about equivalent in distance and elevation, and easier than Melakwa Lake, which is shorter and less elevation, but rockier, so you actually have to watch where you walk. Anyway, if you're newer to hiking and want to do something harder in terms of elevation, but don't want to hurt too badly, this hike is pretty smooth sailing. I made it up in 2hrs, down in 1.5hrs.
I was unaware of the previous trip report mentioning the bear and two cubs (possibly posted after I left the house), but I did come across them at about the same spot. I had stopped to eat a few berries and heard a large crashing through bushes going away from me, so in retrospect, I'm guessing that was the mom and one cub. I made some noise and moved slowly along the trail looking back. I saw a cub not too far off sniffing the air, so snapped a quick pic, and then yelled and rustled some tree branches with my hiking poles. The little guy took off. I didn't see them the rest of my hike, and made sure to let the people I saw on the way down to keep an eye out for them. FYI- bear bells do not work!!! https://www.nps.gov/articles/hiking-in-bear-country.htm
Views of Rainier were amazing. I could make out Adams, but was unable to see MSH. Still gorgeous up there. And SOOOO many berries to snack on! There were several yellowish birds at the summit, which may be some type of warbler, but my bird ID skills aren't what they used to be, not that my warbler ID was every any good to begin with!
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