Today was probably one of the clearest days of the year. Started on the Crest Trail at 8 and remembered how nice it is to hike on this well-graded highway, especially after the root scrambling of last week's Rampart Ridge and some others. There were serious bee warnings at the trailhead but I did not encounter any. Once out of the trees the trail was frosted generously, complete with icicles hanging off the rocks. Once past the Katwalk (don't ever call it a day there!) the views became more and more stunning. I was able to survey last week's Rampart Ridge hike quite well. Continued past Alaska Lake to Joe Lake. At that point the trail rounds Alaska Mountain, whose top was my lunch spot. Saw 2 guys reach the summit of Mt.Thompson from there. On the way down it had warmed considerably from the 38 degrees in the morning. As always I am amazed by the number of people I encounter 2 to 4 miles from the trailhead, wearing t-shirts, no packs and maybe a water bottle in their hands. This with maybe an hour left before the sun went behind the mountains (resulting in rapidly lowering temperatures). Milage about 8 miles to Alaska Mtn. Great trail and the best views.

As I pulled into the Pacific Crest Trail parking lot I noticed several emergencey response units. They were there to help a man who was having an allergic reaction to a bee sting. I didn't think much of it until two girls came down warning me of the bees. I continued on because I have been wanting to do this hike all summer and the weather was perfect for hiking- cool but warm in the sun. At almost 2 miles I passed the medics and the victim. So continuing on to almost the 3 mile point, I figured I had escaped the bees. The minute I stopped to rest a bee came out of nowhere and attacked my leg. That was it for me, as my knee swelled I went back to the parking lot and had lunch. The trail was nice(somewhat narrowed by bushes in the upper open sections) but if you go watch out for bees and don't go at all if you are allergic to bee stings. It was odd to see so many units responding. Is that really necessary' A sheriff, ambulance, snoqualmie fire district, and 3 other med units!

Good day for this hike-not too hot or cold. The trail is in great shape. The 3000ft climb seemed easy, probably because it's spread out over 6 mls. A couple of talus fields and some ups and downs make it interesting. Many berries along the way- blue, black, and thimble. Not many sub-alpine flowers till about 4 mls in, but other hiking goodies like creeks and views, and views and more views are always available. mt. goya- Mt. Lundin- Red Mt.- of course Kendal Peaks, the brothers and big Alta Mt in the east. Probably a better destination if you have the time rather than the katwalk would be Ridge lake at 7mls. I felt like the hike wasn't complete just at the walk. Many packers on the trail were doing the one way trip to Spectecle Lake and Joe lake. Must have been about 50 people up there today. If you haven't done this trail, add it to the DO list this summer or fall- it's great.

PCT to Gravel Lake - A gently sloping, well maintained trail through large timber, over small streams, and up to wide-open views of the Cascades and Mt Rainier. How to get there: I-90 to exit 52, North side of I-90, two immediate rights to the Pacific Crest Trail hiker parking lot. Parking lot has toilets and requires NW forest pass. The trail is built for horses but you can't take one very far unless you come prepared to remove a massive blow-down which hikers can easily duck under. The trail is wide, gently sloping, and slowly traverses the West shoulder of Kendal Mt. The trail passes a pretty waterfall and branches at about 1.5 miles. To the left are Commonwealth Basin and Red Mt. The PCT continues to the right, following the contours of Kendall Peak. At about 3.5 miles or so, at the southern end of a traverse, the trail crests a ridge, following it for a while before dropping below it on the West. Eventually the trail breaks through the trees into a wide-open rocky meadow below the West ridge of Kendal Mt. Current conditions: Some small blow down but nothing difficult to cross (on foot). Snow crossings start at about 3800 feet, about 2.5 miles in. Snow crossings are also easy until you round the North side of Kendal Mountain at about 5350 feet. We turned around at that point since the slope was about 75 degrees, dropping several hundred feet and we were in our hiking sneakers. (A helicopter ride would be fun but I'd like to be conscious and not bleeding.) Total time from trail head to meadow was about 2.5 hours. It was a beautiful day when we went so we laid out on rocks in the meadow, ate lunch, and admired the view. Current flowers in bloom: Trillium, Large Solomon's Seal, Canadian Dogwood, Skunk Cabbage, Yellow Violet, Salmon Berry, Bleeding Heart, Western Corydalis, Western Coralroot, Ocean Spray, Mt Ash, Davidson's Penstemon, Columbine, and Spreading Phlox.

It could not have been a nicer day, sunny with a slight chill at first and just right once we got started. Lots of joggers that passed us on the way up and the way down, but for the most part not too many hikers. A few bugs after it warmed up later in the day, and only a bother if you stopped for too long. One tree down on the trail and it was easily passed. Nice hike for a beautiful clear fall day.