Fay Peak - 7.5.2015
A photo of the GPS track of our trip to Fay Peak and Knapsack Pass... 4 miles roundtrip, gaining 1745 feet of elevation.
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A google earth look at the Mowich Lake area... and our approximate route. From the campground, follow the Lakeshore Trail over to the Ranger Cabin... then pick up the unmaintained trail.
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The information board at the Mowich Lake Campground (4935')... 99.9 percent of the hikers will turn right and head for Spray Park... those interested in Knapsack Pass and Fay Peak will go to the left and take the Lakeside Trail.
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The trail from the campground to the Ranger Cabin is well-signed.
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Walking along Mowich Lake... on our way over to the Ranger Cabin.
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The Ranger Cabin is only a tenth of a mile from the campground. On the left side of the photo notice the sign that looks like it is sitting on the short wooden post.
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The sign at the Ranger Cabin... step over the down tree at the top of the photo and you are on your way.
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Above Mowich Lake now... on the unmaintained trail that leads to Knapsack Pass. A half-mile or so from the Ranger Cabin, watch for a very small stream that parallels the trail you are following toward Knapsack Pass... step across the small stream and continue on a lesser-defined path that heads in the direction of Fay's west ridge.
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Off of the trail leading to Knapsack Pass, but still on an obvious path that will take us to the west ridge of Fay Peak above.
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Heading for the west ridge of Fay Peak on a good path.
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Mowich Lake and Tolmie Peak as we head for the west ridge of Fay Peak.
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One very short section of the path requires the use of our hands.
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First good look at Mount Rainier from the west ridge of Fay Peak.
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First good look at the west side of Fay Peak.
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On the west ridge of Fay Peak... looking down on Mowich Lake... and over to Tolmie Peak.
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On the west ridge of Fay Peak... on a good path that will take us to the Fay Peak summit block.
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Turn to hiker's right at the summit block and continue a very short distance and look for a faint path that heads directly uphill through the trees.
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The path goes through a very short section of trees and then opens up.
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tomman enjoys the views.
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Class 2 scrambling in a few places.
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Almost on the summit now... if you are looking for an exposed route, continue straight... otherwise go to the left (not in photo) and follow an obvious path to the summit.
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From the Fay Peak summit we are looking at Knapsack Pass in the center of the photo... Mother Mountain on the left... and on the right is the ridge we will follow over to the pass.
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From the Fay Peak summit (6492') we are looking across the saddle between Mt. Pleasant (left) and Hessong Rock (right) to Mount Rainier.
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A selfie from the Fay Peak summit... ragman, BarbE and tomman... with a big snow cone behind us.
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BarbE looks down on Mowich Lake from the Fay Peak summit... with Tolmie Peak and Eunice Lake in the distance on the right.
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We are off of the Fay Peak summit and continuing on the south side of the ridge that will take us over to Knapsack Pass.
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Once we get around this large rock outcropping we will be able to get back up on the ridge.
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BarbE is heading back up to the ridge.
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On the ridge and looking back at Fay Peak... down in the valley you see the trail that leads up to Knapsack Pass.
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There is a good path for most of the route along the ridge between Fay Peak and Knapsack Pass.
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This is the veiw to the south for most of the ridge walk from Fay Peak to Knapsack Pass.
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Time to get off of the ridge and work our way down to Knapsack Pass.
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A tarn on the east side of Knapsack Pass. It sits on a bench a few hundred feet above Mist Park.
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A little bit of Class 2 work to get down to an obvious path below.
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Continuing down and over toward Knapsack Pass in the center of the photo.
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Fay Peak and Mowich Lake as we continue toward Knapsack Pass.
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BarbE works her way through the 'Pit of Despair'... we can see the trail to Knapsack Pass on the far left side of the photo.
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BarbE takes a break at Knapsack Pass.
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Fay Peak and Mowich Lake from Knapsack Pass.
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Looking back at Knapsack Pass as we continue down the valley toward Mowich Lake and our car.
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