Trip Report Roundup: Summer is here! Sunny weather, wildflowers and bugs, bugs everywhere

Though Friday was a little cloudy in places, this weekend truly felt like summer across the state. The sun was shining, wildflowers were out (as were the bugs!) and folks from all over hit the trails! 

We had a great time reading all of your trip reports from over the weekend and seeing pictures from your incredible adventures. Thank you for sharing your hikes with us. 

Haven’t written your first trip report yet? There’s no better time than now, as peak hiking season is upon us. Post a trip report and let other hikers know how your hike went so they know what to expect when they hit the trails next. 

Abercrombie Mountain

Photo by LouD83.

"Outstanding overall hike, to the summit with amazing views 360° from the top... Windy at the top, but again the views are amazing."

LouD83 had to navigate a few small blowdowns to reach the summit, but got incredible views on both the trail and at the (windy!) top of Abercrombie Mountain on their hike. 

Owyhigh Lakes

Photo by TralRnnr.

"The scenery was great and the flowers that pop up after the snow has melted were prevalent (e.g. Pasqueflowers, glacier lilies, springbeauty)."

TralRnnr originally had a different hike in mind, but when they saw a full parking lot, they went with plan B: Owyhigh Lakes (it's always a good idea to have a plan B!). It ended up being a beautiful hike with wildflowers on a well-maintained trail. 

Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail

Photo by hikingwithlittledogs. 

"On a hot summer evening it felt cooler with the green grass and river nearby."

hikingwithlittledogs was in town and took a sunset hike along the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, where they walked along the water and admired the beautiful colors of sunset. 

Dalles Ridge & Noble Knob

Photo by THEG00DFIGHT.

"We had to crawl under, saddle over, or go off the trail to get around the fallen burned trees. But the trail was beautiful; we had incredible views of Mt. Rainier and the ranges to the north."

THEG00DFIGHT was ravaged by bugs during their hike, but it was all worth it for the views they got on the Dalles Ridge and Noble Knob trails. 

Packwood Lake

Photo by heidi_. 

"Totally doable — and a really great payoff — for someone still getting used to the weight of the pack."

heidi_ trekked to Packwood Lake on a solo overnight (their second backpacking trip ever!). They got a bit of a late start and found a nice campsite, but they recommend getting there earlier in the day to make sure you can snag a campsite. 

Mosier Creek Falls & Mosier Plateau

Photo by nwroth. 

"The blooms were gone, but the day was clear and really windy, and the views were beautiful as usual. Plus we saw a G I A N T garter snake on our way back to the car."

nwroth took an anniversary trip with their partner to the Columbia River Gorge, and stopped for a quick hike at Mosier Creek Falls and Mosier Plateau. There, they saw the falls and an old cemetery, as well as a very large snake. 

South Ship Canal Trail

Photo by wafflesnfalafel.

"The trail is very urban, but there are still wildlife to see - lots of ducks, geese and song birds plus the occasional osprey, heron or eagle overhead... A nice urban walk with a bunch of nice views and things to see if you are in the area."

wafflesnfalafel pieced together a 6-plus-mile urban loop in the Seattle area along the South Ship Canal Trail. They listed a few points of interest along their route, including the Ballard Locks, Fisherman's Terminal, Fremont Troll and Frankie Feetsplinters, the troll at the National Nordic Museum. 

Lena Lake

Photo by Oldwhiner.

"Found lots of fun flowers blooming. Nooka rose, pink wintergreen and Menzies pipsissewa... It was a fun day"

Oldwhiner hit the Lena Lake trail early to try to avoid the hottest part of day, and saw wildflowers and lovely views of the lake. 

Josephine Lake

Photo by norah.

"Lake - the lake is gorgeous! ... But the mosquitos were awful... I believe I can say without exaggeration, that was the most mosquitos I’ve seen in one area in my life."

norah braved a wet and muddy trail, as well as hordes of mosquitoes, to visit Josephine Lake. 

Mount Pilchuck

Photo by Chawpaway.

"Holy bugs, Batman!! They weren’t terrible for the first half of the hike but the closer we got to the summit the worse it was... Absolutely incredible views once you get above the tree line!"

Chawpaway encountered a bit of snow and a lot of bugs to make it to the Mount Pilchuck lookout, but it was worth it for those summit views. 

Tell us about your summer adventures! Post a trip report, share a picture or two and let others know what you encountered on your hike. Not only does it help keep other hikers safe and in the know, but it also helps land managers like the Forest Service prepare for and prioritize their trail maintenance projects.