Norse Peak

Difficulty: Moderate

10.5 Miles round trip

Chinook Pass is an area Aaron and I don't get up to that often. Why, I'm not sure, I guess we are just creature of habit and navigate towards Snoqualmie and Mt. Rainer National Park. A friend of mine recommended this hike, so we thought we'd give it a try. It was amazing! It is one of the most beautiful hikes we have done, and will top the list as one of our favorites. Once you get past the initial mile or so everything opens up and the views are spectacular and the beauty of Mt. Rainer reveals itself more and more with every switchback you tackle.

  

This is actually a very well maintained trail. There are not a lot of rocks or branches to turn the ankle on, and since it's a popular horse trail it's fairly flat and wide in most areas. The main reason I have tagged it a moderate hike, vs an easy one, is the distance can be quite intimidating if you aren't used to hiking and in good shape, and though not too steep of a grade it is a steady climb all the way to the top.

A nice shaded mile or so of hiking will bring you to your first view of many that you will encounter for the rest of this hike. Crystal Mountain Resort area is down below, crawling with hundreds of tourists unaware of you up above, away from the bustle of commerce and crowds. Make sure to pack lots of water and sunscreen before you leave, because most of the hike from here on out will be in the open, unforgiving sunshine. We actually forgot the sunscreen, so we were putting our SPF lip balm on our foreheads and noses to keep them from crisping up too much.

As you continue to ascend, Mt. Rainer starts to show the top of her majestic head. With each switchback you tackle, the mountain raises higher and higher like the rising sun. It makes you excited to get past the next switchback to see how much will be revealed each time. Keep going until you reach the top, as this will be so worth the effort it took to get up there. You will have a 360 degree view of so much beauty you will want to stay for a while to soak it all in.

Directions: Follow SR 410 through Enumclaw. Once through the town, travel East for 34 miles until you come to the turn off for Crystal Mountain Resort - turn left onto this road. Follow Crystal Mountain Road (FSR 7190) for exactly 4.2 miles. You will see a turnout on the right hand side where you should park. Cross the street to the gravel Gold Hill Road fork. Walk up this gravel road for .25 miles and the Norse Peak trailhead will be on your left hand side.