Hi everyone! In a couple days I plan to hike maple loop and was wondering if we can camp at lake Ann. Would you recommend hiking maple pass loop and then going off trail to lake Ann or hiking the lake ann trail? Are there established campsites at lake Ann? Thank you!

What food options do you guys carry with you when hiking long trails ? (Not overnighters, just 10+ miles) I have started my hikes usually in the afternoon, after having a decent lunch. But if I were to start at 6-7am then that’s not possible. I am bored as hell from eating protein bars, thought they are very convenient. Would be nice to have something which has a bit of spice to it.

Hey there! I’ve got a 4 day weekend coming up and I’m looking for a solo backpacking route. I’m in Spokane, hoping to head west and I’m NOT looking for solitude (I prefer busier trails/routes). Not worried about how far I’d need to drive.

I’d originally settled on the Timberline Trail but I’m a shorty and fording the rivers alone makes me an anxious mess. My backup was White Pass to Chinook Pass on the PCT but it’s now closed due to fire (I’ve done all of the PCT south of White Pass already). I’ve been scouring WTA and AllTrails and I just can’t really say I’ve found what I’m looking for. I’m willing to try and grab a permit if needed. Would love a suggestion!

Finally got to visit Jefferson Park yesterday! What a beautiful and special area. The 8-ish miles of gravel road leading to the trailhead are in pretty good shape—I hear the road has been redone since the fires. There is definitely a ton of burn area + exposure for the first 4 miles, but it’s 100% worth it once you get to the meadows (I also think there’s a certain beauty to burn areas).

I went all the way to Russell Lake, then turned around and explored the other lakes in the area (Scout, Bays, Rock, and Park). Scout and Bays Lakes were my personal favorites, but I did love the scenery in the section of trail from Scout to Russell Lake. Definitely want to return and do this as backpacking trip!

Yesterday (Sept 2, 2025) on Cougar Mountain, I (43F brown hair and eyes, blue T-shirt) came across a male hiker on a trail. He had a mega fluffy salt and pepper beard and kind, dark brown eyes. I had seen some animal scat earlier that kept me on the lookout for a wild animal, and when he popped out of nowhere I got startled for a second and I laughed at my jumpiness. He made a joke about being hairy enough to be confused for an animal, and I tried to be funny and asked if he had eaten a whole lot of berries recently. Anyway, I thought I felt something between us in the brief interaction and spent the rest of the afternoon wishing I had invited him to come look at the dried up falls with me. Alas, I chickened out and regret it.

Help me out, Reddit!! If there's any chance you know a man who hiked Cougar Mountain yesterday (and by some miracle he's single and felt some interest) please help me find him! If not, no worries and happy hiking!

(The mushroom is a cool one I saw yesterday, just added for fun-sies)

Bonus: unexpected loo with a view!

Anyone do the kayak trip to Long Island and hike the Center Road trail to the Don Barker Cedar Grove? I have a tiny inflatable packraft/kayak and am wondering if this is a sea-worthy enough vessel for the crossing. Finding a day where I can cross at the high tides while the sun is still up, with calm winds expected. It really won't deal well with waves over 1ft. I've only taken it on lakes before, so this would be the first saltwater crossing.

Has anyone done this trip? Any advice/recommendations?

• 1 bonus Pika pic!

Did a 17 mile through-run from Pratt to Snow yesterday and was blessed with lake views all day long. Most of the lakes are tranquil and quiet except for snow 😂

Friends in town and want a last minute, shortish hike. And we don’t have much time including driving. Any suggestions appreciated!

I want to show them what we have but they can’t commit to the entire day, unfortunately.

It was a beautiful weekend to hike on the PCT :^) So many nice folks out. There was an altercation at Spectacle Lake on Saturday that led to hours of chicken noises being played for all campers to hear, but everything else was grand, view-wise.

This was my second trip of the season and reminded me that I need to do some conditioning and walk around unstable surfaces with weight on my back more. It was hard for me but worth it.

We didn't see any bears but we did see plenty of marmots and pikas. People were mostly very respectful, but at Ridge Lake we found a large toilet paper graveyard. Packing it out is the way to go!

We could only smell smoke at night at Ridge Lake but it was pretty hazy over the weekend.

Hi all - my girlfriend and I are visiting friends in Seattle, but will do at least 1 full day at Rainier next weekend. We are staying in Ashford, very close to the Nisqually entrance. We are experienced hikers and in good shape.

Seems like most of the internet suggests Skyline loop for first-time visitors - which would work well for us, considering it's so close to where we are staying. But just quickly wanted to check with you all to see if it would be worth it to make the drive to a different region like White River/Sunrise? Although I think SR-123 is closed right now :(

Great hike! The only people we saw the entire weekend were park service folks rebuilding the Camp Siberia shelter (it’ll be beautiful).

First time in the Cascades, had the privilege of good weather and a camera in my bag and this is the result

made it to the top around 5am. crazy views

We will be in Seattle from October 3 to 8 and it’ll be our home base for the duration of our trip/vacation. I was wondering if our itinerary is doable? Or is it too much?

It’s our first time to visit and we’re beginner/moderate hikers. I don’t mind the driving since I’m used to waking up early.

Planned a backpacking trip to do a few 1 night routes this weekend. I’m assuming we need to change our plans due to the Ross lake fire. Does anyone have any better intel on whether it would be feasible/enjoyable for us to still backpack in these areas?

Looking for some hikes to build scramble experience

So far have done Mt Si haystack and Kaleetan Peak. What are some comparable hikes/scrambles?

This is going to be my first time at Mt. Pilchuck. I was wondering if the trail is cool enough for a dog. I know it depends on the day and the temperature during the time I am hiking but I wanted to know if the trail has enough tree cover. Last time I took my dog to the mailbox peak the last mile was really tough on him. It was a rather hot day as well. I want to prepare better this time.

Hi all, We won the lottery for Colchuck Lake at the Enchantments this weekend. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there.

What’s the food storage situation at Colchuck? Are there bear poles or do we bring our own bear can?

Thanks.