Day Hike - Tonga Ridge

Meeting place and time 9:00 AM at Skykomish Ranger Station

Leader's notes Moderate Pace. No speeding! This trail starts high and stays high. Our trailhead is at 4400 ft and we climb to 4800 ft. The first mile is uphill, not too steep, through forest. The next couple of miles cut straight across a steep hillside, in the sun. There are a few trees along that portion of the trail for shade. The views across the valley are spectacular. The trail in that part is flat and smooth, but narrow. The last 1/2 mile is through woods and meadow. The meadow at the end of the trail, Sawyer Pass, is beautiful . A climb up Mt. Sawyer offers even better views but is optional. We will see some of the big peaks in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to our south and some equally impressive peaks to the north in the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness. We may find some huckleberries to munch on. Cool crisp weather is likely.