Tamanos Mountain, Owyhigh Lakes — Saturday, May. 29, 2004

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon

Owyhigh Lakes / Tamanos Mountain Sunday, May 30, 2004 Thanks to the ever enterprising National Park Service deciding that Memorial Day weekend might be as good a chance as any to con tourists and other water-logged campers looking for a warm car ride out of $10 to see the White River Campground while the picnic tables remain standing on end, the White River entrance off of Hwy 410 was open. This allows an easy drive to the parking area rather than the walk, bike or roller-blade required just a week ago. The road up to Sunrise beyond the campground intersection remains gated. At least the NPS is putting the early season tourist dollars to good use as the trail crews have already cleared all of this season’s blow-downs up to approximately 5,200 feet, where at least one remains before the lakes. The trail was in excellent shape and the old growth, now one year older, looks as majestic as ever. We did not see evidence of other hikers above the last cleared blow-down. The trail is completely snow-free until approximately 5,100 feet where it becomes about 50% snow covered until the just past the last switchback. From here on up we were on 100% snow and followed a set of large cougar tracks in the fresh surface snow. All of the bridges are in good shape and the creek crossing log is melted-out and looks to have survived the winter. Up in the basin, the Owyhigh Lakes were just starting to melt out, and soon will be reflecting the majesty of the Governor’s Ridge spires which loom above to the east. We continued on skis and snowshoes past the lakes to the saddle and then carefully worked our way up to the low spot on the ridge as the skies parted and we enjoyed beautiful blue sky and sun. It was fun to see a solitary set of goat tracks climbing the same snowy slope. From the saddle, we climbed the ridge to the rocky summit and enjoyed great views back toward Governor’s Ridge as well as over to Goat Island Mountain and Summerland. Sporadically we were blessed with the thunderous roar of rock and ice fall coming from the direction of the Sarvant Glaciers, and in once instance could watch as the wet surface snow poured down the slope and over the rocks far below. Those of us on skis made quick work of the 1,500’ of Tamanos’ SE facing bowl and we soon re-grouped back down at the lakes. All too soon we were back on dirt where the nearly perfect grade of this trail kept the knees happy all the way back to the truck which set lonely in the parking area. We all concluded it was a great way to spend Memorial Day Sunday and we had it all to ourselves. Happy Trails! Donald Larkin Trail Team “Wooooooo, Hooooooo!”