July 18, 2003

I was in the Seattle area for business and decided to stay the weekend to hike Mt. Rainier for two days.  The first day I only had the afternoon and came down as soon as my meetings wrapped up.  The northeast section of the park does not have an entry station and it is free to enter.  I decided to hike Crystal Lake on Friday and then on Saturday hike to Comet Falls and Mildred Point. 

The trailhead can be picked up at the northeast section of the park.  The trailhead is well marked and there is parking on both sides of the road.  The trail is however popular so an early start is recommended.   

I was only one of three cars in the parking lot so I figured on wouldn’t see too many people.  I only bumped into three people heading down and then another three on my return trip heading up. 

After accessing the trailhead you will immediately crossover over a small log bridge that spans Crystal Creek.  The trail immediately ascends from the valley and follows a ridge above the creek.  There are several areas where people have tried to view the creek and falls, but they offer very little view.  Care should be taken with these trail spurs since the area is eroding and cascades over a steep drop. The trail eventually comes to a split for Crystal Lake and the overlook.  Take the spur to Crystal Lake. After passing this split, the forest opens up offering a magnificent view of Mount Rainier and White River.   The trail is wide and continues through old growth forest until you reach the summit.

Along the summit ridge leading to the lake you can also take a spur to lower Crystal lake Campground. Crystal Lake is a high elevation lake.  It is crystal clear and you can see to the bottom.  If heading to this lake in mid July, bring bug juice since this is the height of mosquito and horse fly season and they are quite numerous here.

I decided to wade into the lake and it felt wonderful until I noticed the swarm of mosquitoes across the lake.  I was eaten alive.  As I was trying to put my boots on, I would literally kill handfuls on my legs it so bad. 

The return trip was uneventful, but I actually ran out of water which is rare that I actually didn’t bring as much as I normally take with me.  Greenwater is just outside the gate and is about all of a dozen buildings and most of them are roadside cafes/shops.  This is a good place to stop to refresh yourself.