Derek and I hiked to the summit of Crystal Peak today. What a fabulous hike!
Driving down, it was raining hard enough that I had to turn on the wipers. Clouds. Rain. I was bummed, since this hike is all about the amazing views. As we got closer to the trail head, though, the sun came out and it was beautifully sunny the entire way, which was just a tad under 8 miles round trip.
Crystal Peak is just across the valley from Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in the lower 48. On the way up there are a few views across the valley. At one point we thought we could see what looked like a trail through the snow on Rainier. I zoomed the camera get a closer look:
On the map of Rainier there appears to be a trail right where we thought we saw a trail so I think that, if we bring our good binoculars, we just might be able to see some Rainier mountaineers. (although I think they generally start their summit push just after midnight, to have the best snow conditions)
The summit of Crystal Peak is spectacular. You can look down on the Crystal Lakes and Sourdough Gap, a famous point on the Pacific Crest Trail (it runs from Mexico to Canada):
The near neighbors look inviting and here is Derek standing a few feet from the edge of a cliff:
We spent quite a while on the summit, overwhelmed with the beauty of the place. And Derek did a little exploring. He thought he found a trail leading down from the summit over to the nearby Point 6706 and connecting to the Crystal Peak trail. Here is a close-up of our track on the summit and I have pointed to the trail Derek did in fact find:
On the way down we found what we are pretty sure is the intersection with this trail. We just may come back and give it a try.
A terrific workout, spectacular views, a Friday well spent.
Track below.
