Hike the Pacific Northwest

High Hut – what an absolute gem in the forest. I’d been planning to get a group up here ever since I saw pictures from some friends of mine who’d ventured there. The cabin is situated atop a high ridge in the South District of the Mount Tahoma Trails Association and overlooks Mt. Rainier (on a clear day). The hike up is a bit steep, climbing 2,400 ft in around 4.5 miles. But if you’re up for the climb you’ll definitely be rewarded with a warm cabin (overnight reservations required) and hopefully a view! As of May 18 the snow was mostly melted, just a long patch near the top. We opted out of hauling our snowshoes and instead trekked the last mile of snow with our boots. The hike itself took us a little over two hours, and that would probably be less once all the snow melts.

Overall we had a fantastic time. What glamorous backpacking! The hut was fully equipped with a kitchen (stove, dishes, soap), a gravity water pump, games, solar-powered lights, a heater and sleeping pads. It’s safe to say it exceeded our expectations! The only sad part was the fog. We got a 10 minute peak of the top of Mt. Rainier, therefore we will be back to see it in all its glory!