View all 34 photos of Rainbow Lake Hike. (I recommend opening them in a new window, choosing the “slideshow” link, and clicking the “info on” button to see the titles.)
Here's a teaser (click to see the full-sized image):
Larch With Reflections
Smoke On The Water
Fall Colors
I left my door at 7:00, getting to the trailhead at 7:15. The Rainbow Creek trail starts off the Rainbow Loop, which climbs the initial headwall of the Stehekin Valley above Rainbow Falls. Then you climb (fairly steeply) a spur ridge high above Rainbow Creek and contour to meet the creek at the Rainbow Ford crossing, about 4.5 miles from the trailhead. Here is a groovy little suspension bridge. You’ve got to give it to the NPS: I heart the Forest Service, too, but NPS trails are beautifully built, maintained, and signed. You can tell that they have more resources to devote to this than the NFS. On a long hike like this, it’s nice knowing there will be no worries finding the trail. Another mile takes you to the junction with the Rainbow Lake trail, which crosses Rainbow again, then climbs steep switchbacks into the hanging valley of the N. Fork Rainbow Cr. After reaching the top of the hanging valley, it moderates and travels almost straight north along the N. fork to Rainbow Lake (and another mile to Bowan Pass.).
I saw fresh-looking “liquid cub” Bear scats by the dozens on the trail, but never saw the bears. (Looks like they’ve been eating salal.) It drizzled ever so briefly on the way up a couple times, but no big deal. The colors became increasingly spectacular as I headed into the higher country, as well as the views downlake to the big peaks of the Milham Pass area. One final talus to switchback up brought me to Rainbow Lake, which was just gorgeous with fall colors, including larch trees that had started to turn gold. (In about a week it will be unbelievable up there.) I plopped down for lunch a little after 12:30, enjoying my PBJ, apple, and the fruit and berry trail mix that two wonderful women had sent along with me from home. By 1:00 the skies were looking more threatening, so I thought it’d be wise to get down to a little warmer place before the rain started. Sure enough, by 1:25 it was raining, and it never really stopped the rest of the trip, although it was mostly just a steady drizzle. I got back to the trailhead at 5:00, back home at 5:15, and in a hot shower at 5:16.
I saw fresh-looking “liquid cub” Bear scats by the dozens on the trail, but never saw the bears. (Looks like they’ve been eating salal.) It drizzled ever so briefly on the way up a couple times, but no big deal. The colors became increasingly spectacular as I headed into the higher country, as well as the views downlake to the big peaks of the Milham Pass area. One final talus to switchback up brought me to Rainbow Lake, which was just gorgeous with fall colors, including larch trees that had started to turn gold. (In about a week it will be unbelievable up there.) I plopped down for lunch a little after 12:30, enjoying my PBJ, apple, and the fruit and berry trail mix that two wonderful women had sent along with me from home. By 1:00 the skies were looking more threatening, so I thought it’d be wise to get down to a little warmer place before the rain started. Sure enough, by 1:25 it was raining, and it never really stopped the rest of the trip, although it was mostly just a steady drizzle. I got back to the trailhead at 5:00, back home at 5:15, and in a hot shower at 5:16.
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