Mowich Lake is a popular subalpine lake in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park. Most years, from mid-July until mid or late October, it is possible to drive to the lake. The rest of the year, the road is gated near the park entrance at the Paul Peak trail head.
On July 2, 2001, I bicycled from the closed gate to Mowich Lake. The lake was deserted except for a couple of rangers and a small Wonderland Trail hiking party. From the lake, I hiked over Knapsack Pass to the summit of Mount Pleasant, down to Spray Park and back to Mowich Lake via the Wonderland Trail. I saw no one after leaving the lake.
On July 27, 2003, our experience was quite different. With the gate open, the parking lot was nearly full, perhaps 20 cars, and there were a number of people coming and going nearby. Once we started up the trail to Knapsack Pass, we found a measure of solitude until we crossed Spray Park. We met one person on the west ridge of Observation Rock and several parties as we descended below Echo Rock to Spray Park. This was in addition to several parties that we saw in the distance in the same area.
The other big change was the amount of snow. On July 2, 2001, the parking lot was partially covered with snow and snow was fairly continuous above 5800'. On the later trip, flowers were blooming at Knapsack Pass, Spray Park and even on the west ridge of Observation Rock.
Mowich Lake, 4929', near the "Ranger Station" looking northwest at 09:20.
Mountain hemlock looking west toward Knapsack Pass (upper right), 6160'+, from 5760' at 10:14.
White lilys bloom next to a small lake, 6060', near the Wonderland Trail in Spray Park, looking northeast at 11:49.
Liberty Cap (141112'), just right of center, is one of three summits of Mt. Rainier. At the center is a 200' high ice cliff at the lower edge (11000') of the Liberty Cap Glacier. The Liberty Ridge climbing route goes up the ridge left of the ice cliff to Liberty Cap. To the right of the Liberty Cap Glacier is the Mowich Glacier. The highest arm of the Mowich Glacier begins at 12000' below the obvious 600' high headwall of rock and ice. This view is looking southeast from 8100' at 15:57 from just southwest of Observation Rock 8364'.
Barbara glissades down the Flett Glacier, east of Observation Rock, from 7890' at 16:08. Volcanos are largely composed of weak, easily fractured rock that make ridges like the one in the background.
Lupine bloom in meadows on the north side of Spray Park. Looking northwest from the Wonderland Trail from 6130' at 17:32, Fay Peak (left, 6492') and Mother Mountain (right, 6395') loom over east ridge of Mt. Pleasant (6454').
Looking southeast from the east ridge of Mt. Pleasant across Spray Park to Mt. Rainier from 6050' at 17:48. Echo Rock (7870') is the rugged snowfree peak on the left. Observation Rock is the left leaning rock triangle just below the ice cliff of the Liberty Cap Glacier (center).
The western redcedar (left foreground) and mountain hemlock (behind) setting of this small cascade at 5580' is splendid. This was taken at 19:05.
This graph summarizes our trip. The horizontal axis is 24 hour Pacific Daylight Time. These data were logged by an altimeter watch. Our fastest hours were 1070 ft/hour at 14:15 and -1463 ft/hr at 16:15.
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Date created: 2003.08.10
Last modified: 2003.08.10
Copyright © 2003, Walter A. Siegmund
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