Arch Rock — Sunday, Sep. 11, 2016

Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410

Note: I drafted this trip report because I could not find one for this trail - all the search results led to Arch Rock, not Arch Rock Trail. I hiked Arch Rock Trail (USFS trail 1187) as part of a 3-day loop beginning at the Greenwater Lakes trail head, passing Echo Lake to the PCT, then northward and back down Naches Trail. The US Forest Service trail description was technically accurate, but left out a few details that need to be shared. First, although there is signage from the Greenwater Lakes Trail (USFS trail 1176) junction, the last sign you pass at mile 0.3 reads 'trail to north shore' of Echo Lake. It was there we guessed the beginning of the ascent. Second, once you leave the flat shoreline along the Southeast side of Echo Lake, you climb approximately 1,850 feet in 1.5 miles - that is steep! Stop and rest often, there are very few switchbacks or areas that level off until you reach the top. Third, this trail isn't heavily used, which made navigating difficult at times - look for distant stubs made from clearing down trees years ago and small trunks laid down to guide the path. Finding signs of the trail while descending would be very difficult as compared with looking upward. As stated in the USFS description, there is a stream at mile 2.4 within the first meadow you encounter. At a foot in width it flowed with just enough to gather suitable water to filter. Just beyond there is a wide open grassy saddle with lots of level ground to camp, and we did just that. 0.4 of a mile further you reach Airplane Meadow, which has a pleasant flat sandy area for camping. Finally, at mile 3.1 you reach the PCT. We saw no one else on this trail. Weather was overcast and although the trees whistled with wind, our campsite remained relatively calm. Although we started our trip with mid-60s temperature the day before, at our 5,700 foot high camp site there was a thick layer of frost on the bear canister by next morning. No wildlife was encountered. There were few bugs and no bear scat, but lots of Elk pellets. The Arch Rock Trail made for a very challenging finish to the first leg of a 3-day trip. However, reaching this was point made for spectacular views along the easy slope of the PCT and the descent in the days following.