Crystal Peak at Mount Rainier National Park

After completing the Glacier Basin Loop Trail the previous day, I went ahead for Crystal Peak. Surprisingly, the trail was more crowded than I expected and it looked like quite a few people use this trail for uphill training as well as branching towards Crystal Lake. While this trail starts out in the thicket of trees, the best views come after the fork in the trails. The view opens up into a magnificent view of Mount Rainier and the expansive views continue all the way to the top. At the peak, another hiker pointed out several nearby mountain peaks (On a very clear day, Mount Hood, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens are all visible). One of my favorite parts was watching clouds form and disappear over Mount Rainier.