Caught one of the most beautiful days on the mountain for a day hike from Box Canyon TH to Indian Bar.
Road: smooth. they were paving the Box Canyon TH, so some cars may have gotten trapped/ticketed/towed, unfortunately
Trail: clear, easy to follow, no obstructions. Scant snow. we had thogouht about doing the traverse to Summerland but we saw a few WT and other hikers who had said how bad the previous few days of weather were and there was snow at Panhandle Gap, so be prepared if you go that far (or come from the other side).
Flora/Fauna: amazing kaleidoscope of colors!! we were in Goat Rocks in mid-summer and saw an impressive spectrum of colors from the wildflowers, but Fall is just as rich in the rainbow of visual symphony!! The berry bushes have all turned red and with the clear skies, it made for a whole array of greens, reds, blues and the gigantic glacier-capped mountain backdrop. The little mushrooms were also popping up on the forest floor for those sections of the hike, so keep an eye out for those in the next few weeks.
Water at Nickle Creek and Indian Bar are still flowing well. there were a few trickles of streams along the way, but no other legitimate water. Indian Bar was a great, sunny spot to hang out by the water and the shelter. will definitely try to camp there at some point
The hike is a pretty steady incline, but once you're out of the forest (~3-3.5 mi) you get great views of Adams and then Rainier to keep you motivated... it was truly like being in a postcard ... i was unable to resist the urge to spontaneously burst out in song ... "... the hills are alive..."
not a lot of wildlife that day ... chipmunks, grouse, a big hawk, some insects
anyway - would love to head back there on the WT, the traverse or just to spend a night or two at Indian Bar itself
15.38 miles, 4206 ascent, 4243 descent, 6:30 moving time
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