On Wednesday we had 5 hikers come out to hike to Towhead Lake from the Cook and Green Pass along the PCT. We started hiking a little after 10 AM with a chilly temperature of 46° This was quite different from when we hiked it in early September of last year and the heat prevented us from completing the planned hike to Towhead.

As we hiked, we saw fall leaves and the fireweed looked like they had released their silky plume which helps the seeds disperse in the wind. We were surprised to see a few wildflowers still blooming. Prince's Pine, Paintbrush and a few others.

We could see the mostly dead trees from the Cedar Fire that came through in 2017. This made the Red Buttes easier to see. We came up to the overlook at Echo Lake and enjoyed the views. It was typically windy at this point. From there, we hiked towards Lily Pad Lake. From there, we took a trail up and to the right to the rock wall with the green gate. We took time for a snack and met a soil scientist.

We continued on and down to the small body of water before Towhead Lake. The water was higher than usual so we would have to climb over some rocks. Scott decided to remain there for lunch while the rest of us continued to Towhead Lake for lunch. After a short time, we joined Scott for our group photo. Maria asked if she could run to the top of the hill to the gate. She took off and the rest of us maintained an easy pace. We joined her at the gate then headed back down the trail. We could see that someone had driven a white pickup to the upper road where there was a camping site.

We made it back to our cars a little before 4:30. We had hiked almost 10 miles and gained 2,264 feet of elevation.