It’s July and my family spent a weekend up near Chinook Pass, and after everyone left and I finished my cleanup chores, I drove up to the pass for another dose of my favorite hike: Naches Peak Loop! It’s my go-to hike for July because of a number of factors. First the snow pack is so huge in the Cascades, this area usually just melts out enough to hike maybe by the 4th of July. So you wait a week and some change, and maybe the wildflowers are blooming… Then the life is just bursting forth from every direction. Birds are everywhere (along with some mosquitos), deer are chowing down on the fast growing plant life, and every tree is pushing growth as fast as possible in this short summer season. Colors are vibrant and intense. It’s just pure joy for the photographer. Finally, temperatures are just not extreme. An evening hike is comfortable: not too hot nor too cold. Weather can be variable, so some amazing cloud formations are just randomly forming often in multiple directions.

I parked at the Tipsoo Lake picnic area and hiked through the meadows surrounding this high elevation mountain lake. Here the wildflowers are the best ever, but right now, are just coming out. So, in 1-3 weeks the peak will be on full display.

A friendly deer greeted me on the trail just over the highway as I made my way up the loop trail. It rises a few hundred feet and you have to keep checking over your shoulder to see if Mount Rainier is peaking through the clouds.

The setting sun breaks through the towering cumulonimbus array that hides the mountain. These clouds are literally formed as air passes over the 14,000 foot giant.

Further down the trail, various wildflowers are already up on the sunny slopes on the west side of Naches peak.

At the southernmost point of the trail, you can view the path of the Pacific Crest Trail as it speeds southward, flanking Dewey Lake and beyond.

In a week or two, the flowers are going to be amazing on this slope to the west as you make your way north on the final third of the trail.

The snowmelt makes everything wet and streams run everywhere, rushing downhill forming full rivers that makes their way west and east from the apex of the Cascades.

The sun is setting as I cross the highway over the log bridge and then march down to Tipsoo Lake again.

My luck was good and the clouds decided to part revealing the mountain in mysterious grandeur. It was a spectacular night to see! When the mountain opens up to you like this, it is humbling and the small group who stood near me were completely silent. People whispered to each other and no one raised their voice. You realize how small you are in the presence of one such as this, and that your own life is just a blip in the epochs of time. In our frantic world where we spend so much time looking at a two dimensional screen, this kind of dimensionless awesome just does not exist.

Then the clouds covered up the mountain, and it was time to head back to camp and snuggle in for a restful sleep off the grid, with the sound of rushing river water lulling me to slumber.

If you are heading up to this area, bring some water proof hiking boots, and hiking poles are a must for folks like me. Layers are preferred as you never know what the temperature will be.

I love this hike. Variety, beauty that is out of control, and peace. This was Monday night, so you’ll note the lack of others on the trail. I’ll probably be back and post again, as I can’t keep these glimpses of wonder in. Put the phone down, and take some time to head up into the mountains!