Hey r/PNWhiking, we’re Washington Trails Association (wta.org) and we’re here to answer your questions about trails, public lands and hiking in Washington this fall.

We’re celebrating our 60th anniversary as the nation’s largest statewide trails nonprofit. Our work spans all things “trails” in Washington — including trail maintenance, volunteer programs, advocacy for public lands, free online resources and more.

We're here to answer questions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT today. Ask us anything!

Easily one of the best hikes I’ve done in recent memory!

A blustery overnight

Snow ruined my camping plans, but I was very happy to be able to see further than 15 feet off the mountain this time.

Are Larches on Highway 20 far past their prime? Last Sunday I hiked Lake Ingalls and most of the larches were past with many of their needles already fallen. I’ve been keeping an eye on trip reports from the last few days but not many mention the larches. I was hoping to take my dad who’s visiting to Cutthroat tomorrow.

Was planning to hike Chinook to White Pass and back. Lost my fuel to a leaky valve. Trying to hitch east to 410 and back upto Chinook. 2 hours with no ride. Bumming

Hiked up Ingalls Friday, back down Saturday and found all the weather.

Slept in the lot Friday night after a two hour standstill on i90 after a crash.

Headed up Saturday am with the kiddo. Maybe ten cars in the lot.

Rain, pouring rain, then two hours of sun, then rain, then the temperature dropped twenty degrees and we got sleet, wet snow, then cold mountain snow.

It was a cold night and much worse than the forecast, but we were prepared.

Woke up to clear, super cold, and sunshine with an inch of snow.

On the way down we found the Saturday crowd. Lot had cars half a mile down on the side.

MANY MANY UNPREPARED HIKERS heading up Saturday. Yes, it was 50 and sunny at the lot, but it was at or below freezing at Ingalls Pass, and snow was coming in. We saw a number of people turn around due to cold, and others whose strategy appeared to be hoping they didn't get wet.

Be prepared out there folks. People take pictures of the pretty stuff, not the nasty winter weather that comes through unannounced.

Some thing’s to look out for in here! 🤙

Found this incredible rocky gorge hidden deep in the woods. The way the shadows fall over the massive boulders and the stream makes the whole place feel ancient and untouched.

We're Washington Trails Association (wta.org) and we're hosting an AMA here this Thursday, 10/15.

Ask us anything about fall hiking, trails and public lands in Washington!

From trail maintenance to seasonal hiking skills, we look forward to chatting with you on Thursday.

Well, sorta coffee! Somewhere near Alger.

Any hikes here that are more vertical, like this image, instead of just switchbacks?

I visited the East Coast, and hiked Mount Major in NH. We have never had so much fun hiking before, as all I have known is switchback hikes in WA. The hikes here are beautiful, but we crave the thrill we got from essentially crawling up rocks as we did on Mount Major. I have heard that Vesper peak is a contender, but wanted to know of other options. Thanks!

A view from Tiger 1

10/11

Post-peak larches on Sunday. Arrived at the trailhead at 2pm and easily got a parking spot on the road right at the trailhead. Hiked counterclockwise carrying my toddler and we turned back 3mi in rather than completing the loop, back at the car by 5pm. It was getting pretty cold and my kiddo is teething, so discomfort all around! Looks like the snow on Saturday knocked most of the needles off the trees. Still lovely though! Such a clear day and gorgeous late afternoon light.

I’m thinking about doing Mount Daniel this Thursday and was wondering about the conditions, especially snow and ice on the trail. If anyone has been up there since last weekend, I’d love to hear about the conditions. Thanks in advance!