Crystal Lakes – it’s a love/hate thing for me. The lower part of the trail is through boring, dull forest without many redeeming features. But the upper part, and the lakes themselves are well worth the grind! To the southwest, Crystal Peak looks down from up above. Wildflowers were just starting to show up in force.
And… I saw my first porcupine in the wild! I didn’t have my camera, only my cell phone, but was able to get a few photos and if you use your imagination, you can see Mr. Porky in the center of one of the photos.
Such a peaceful place, and even better with a good friend and iced tea/wine with our lunch break near the upper Crystal Lake. While there aren’t any good views of Mt. Rainier itself, except for a few peek-a-boo views along the trail, it’s still well worth the climb for the peace and beauty of this area.
