7.9 miles, 3200' gain, 1300' descent

Trees, trees, and more trees along the northern part of the Eastside Trail: flat at first, then steeply uphill to cross the road near Cayuse Pass, entering the subalpine, and more uphill to Chinook Pass. It's the Naches Peak Loop! Solitude was replaced by small children and novice hikers, but I quickly left them behind as I turned off on the PCT and dropped down to Dewey Lake.

The lake is large and attractive, with multiple campsites tucked around its southern shore. Mosquitos were terrible, and only partially respectful of my picaridin spray and permethrin treated clothing. As evening arrived I could smell smoke in the air, and hoped I didn't make a mistake going ahead with this trip. There's no way home from this spot that doesn't involve covering some miles tomorrow.