Quiet 4th and Hike to Packwood Lake

We spent a quiet 4th of July around the RV, catching up on stuff - computer, photo editing, sewing, laundry, cleaning.  We feel that we have seen all we want to see of Mt. Rainier and yet, today, we decided to hike to Packwood Lake, and inland lake that was formed by glacier melt thousands of years ago.

Casual Hike to Packwood Lake

But first, the 4th in Packwood:  since the towns around here get together and combine their fireworks into one display in the next town of Randle called "The Big Bottom Blast" (I chuckle every time I think of all this, the big bottom women (and men) that are gather in one place), we opted not to drive there to watch it.  We saw an amazing fireworks the previous Saturday night and were okay not going.  All the crazies that bought fireworks for themselves, well, they started about 6pm setting them off around this town and I think the last one was midnight.  There were two enormous booms that sounded like dynamite - shook us and the RV.  A little frightening.  Hope tonight is much quieter, poor Gracie trembled tucked up next to me on the bed - she was very scared.

Avalanche Lily

We have only these two last days before we head out to the Olympic Peninsula, west of Seattle, on Sunday and had two more things we wanted to do before leaving Packwood, one of them hiking to Packwood Lake.  Only made it a little into two miles before heading back, two reasons for returning:  one, the mosquitoes were getting pretty aggressive even with our bug spray on, and two, my foot was beginning to bother me so we opted to start back.  Passed groups of people and their dogs hiking to the Lake and possibly beyond, loaded up with their gear strapped across their backs.  And day hikers coming and going. Not disappointed about not making it all the way to the Lake  (4 1/2 miles one way), instead had a nice casual hike in the Northwest woods. The wildflowers are just beginning to show - my favorite is the avalanche lily.

Move Elk!

Path started out up hill for the first two miles before you started the gradual decline down.  Said how much easier it will be on the return since we went uphill steadily, although not a rugged walk and the path is very well worn and flat for the most part, just kept going up and up.  Very pretty walk, a few birds singing, the forest smell wasn't pronounced because this forest was not old - the trees may have been cut down 50 years ago or so for logging and then seedlings put in.  Very few old, huge trees, probably missed by the loggers.  And some decay only not as pronounced - moss, lichen, downed trees, small bushes.  But definitely not old forest.

This whole area is very lovely and if we lived closer, I could see living here in the late spring to early fall.  The  big thing we have not seen - animals.  Yes, we have our resident elk herd that is by us every day, and today we saw an elk in the road as we were coming back from the Lake with more right by the road's edge, but no deer, have heard coyotes at night, no rabbits. We hear lots of birds Strange about the animals.