The snow is now above the 6000 foot level so Indian Heaven Wilderness is snow free. I get a late start and don't arrive at the East Crater Trail trailhead until noon. Partly, I wait until the post office closes where Dad will pick up his re-supply on the Continental Divide Trail because I don't want to miss his call. If he doesn't make it to town before the post office closes, he will be in town all day Sunday so he can call me tomorrow.
I will be hiking much along the Pacific Crest Trail this weekend. The scenery is very typical PCT with lots of lakes and overviews. The lake on the left is Blue Lake, the second lake I come to. I pass about 17 lakes today. This picture is while walking south on the PCT from Blue Lake to the Indian Race Track. I only see about 10 people camping and 5 people on trails the entire day.
There is quite a variety of wild flowers along the trail from Paint Brushes to smaller, closer to the ground wildflowers such as these.
Both Mount Adams (pictured) and Mount Hood are partially covered by clouds until late in the evening. Another mountain is also visible (probably St Helens) but it is so covered by clouds I can't identify it.
This is the Indian Race Track where thousands of people from the Yakima, Klickitat, and Columbia River tribes gathered each year to pick huckleberries and have pony races. This race track is always at least 10 feet wide for its 2,000 foot distance.
After a road walk, I continue on the Thomas Lake trail. Lots of cars are parked at the trailhead so this is a popular hike (although I don’t see many people). The trail passes quite a few lakes and several water logged areas that required trick navigation not to get wet. Thomas Lake is pictured.
I like the reflection in this lake.
After arriving back at Blue Lake again, I take the PCT North to start another loop. Pictured is Clear Lake at the end of the loop. I see several Elk on this loop.
The way back from Clear Lake to Junction Lake via Lemei Lake reminds me more of trails in Ketchikan Alaska (where I lived from age 2 to age 18) than any other trail I've been on outside of Southeast Alaska. Walking though meadows with a few mud holes here and there and tiny flowers in the grass. The main difference is that here there is a muddy trail and up there, so few people walk through the muskeg, is always just grass.
More of the muskeg-like area with Lemei Lake in the background. I reached the car shortly after 9:00pm for just over nine hours of hiking. This is probably about 27 miles of hiking at the pace I was traveling.