Noble Knob, up the forest roads from Greenwater, is one of our most spectacular local treasures. With panoramic views from up and down the Cascades, Mt Rainier, eastern Washington and much more, it is no wonder this hike is so popular. But what is one to do with the Corral Pass Road to the trailhead closed this year? You can take a 1.4 mile hike instead of a 7 mile hike, and take any car to the trailhead. (The Corral Pass Road will challenge your high clearance vehicle.) The only difficulty is getting through the maze--Road 70 to 72 to 7220 to 7222. But you can get good directions from the Forest Service at the edge of town, or find Road 7222 on your GPS and make the end of it a favorite. The unmarked trailhead is .3 of a mile before the end. When you come to two old culvert pipes and an abandoned gate in the ditch, turn around. The trailhead will be 50 feet in front of you on the same side of the road. There is parking for four or five cars on the widened shoulder and room to make a U-turn.
Next you might ask, what is a person to do if the forecast is for foggy all day up there? We decided to go anyway and are glad we did. We noticed many things we might have missed when the distant views were out: the details of the upright noble fir cones and the hillsides of developing huckleberries, the texture of the rocks. We'll definitely do an encore hike on this trail on a clear day with fall color.
A few pictures are included, but if you want to see more (and see them in the right order), and also hear Foggy Mountain Breakdown on a bluegrass piano, take a look at the slideshow here.