Mount Defiance, Talapus and Olallie Lakes — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025

First off, this was not what I was planning. I planned to do Mount Defiance via the Mason Lake trail, but it was dark, and I ended up at the wrong trailhead. Use caution on the road if you are going before sunrise, and bring a headlamp (I was glad I did). I downloaded the hike on my trails app without paying close enough attention. So, I ended up going up along the Talapus and Olallie lakes trail. When I noticed it, I looked at my app and it said 14.7 miles. I figured at that point, another 4ish miles wasn't bad. But after all was said and done, it said 17 miles. I left the trailhead about 6:45, and my headlamp was helpful for the first 30 minutes or so. Around then, an owl decided to dive bomb me a few times (see photo). It was drizzly and overcast, but the temperature wasn't bad. I didn't cross many hikers along the way up. I made it to the top just over 4 hours. I didn't hang out long, and the skies were still overcast. I finally made it back to my car in about 8 total hours roundtrip. I am glad I did it, but it was a tough day hike.