Heather - Maple Pass Loop — Monday, Oct. 7, 2024

This was our best day hike ever. Perfect fall weather, the larch trees are a perfect gold and the huckleberry leaves a brilliant red. We went clockwise. We enjoyed getting to the higher pass first and going downhill to Heather Pass. There are some slick muddy areas at the top. I was thankful to have a pole. There were a lot of other hikers but it really wasn’t bad. We were all in such awe of the weather and trees that it didn’t bother us. We weren’t in a hurry so pulling over for oncoming hikers wasn’t a problem, and have more opportunities for soaking in all the beauty. Parking was full at 9 am but we didn’t have to park too far down the highway. If not our top day hike ever, it’s definitely in the top 3.