Arrived at the parking area at Chinook Pass just outside the Park on the left side of the road as you head east about 11:45 this morning (Wednesday). There were a number of open spots and all the parking areas between Tipsoo Lake and here also seemed to have availability. Restrooms were stocked and reasonably clean.
I started with the Naches Peak Loop trail headed in the clockwise direction. Both trails were in very good condition and while busy, not overly crowded. Naches Peak Loop was definitely the busier of the two, but that is where the views are. In my opinion this trail has an amazing payoff in terms of Rainier views for a modest effort. Hiking clockwise is recommended so the Mountain is in your line of sight rather than behind you.
There were some straggly wildflowers remaining in the meadows and some early sightings of fall colors, but neither in abundance enough to warrant checking the respective boxes for this trip report. There is an electronic highway sign on Highway 410 inside the park indicating that the Sunrise Road remains closed "due to wildfire." That said, in the Chinook Pass area today there was no visible smoke and I couldn't smell any either.
After rounding Tipsoo Lake, I continued north on the Pacific Crest Trail to Sheep Lake. Quieter here but very enjoyable mileage and the lake itself was beautifully sunny and tranquil. I did not head up to Sourdough Gap due to timing of when I needed to be back in the city, but it would have been a really nice day to have done so. Temps comfortable in the mid to high 50s. Breeze was light. Warm in the sun; cool in the shade. Perfect late summer/early fall conditions, actually!
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