Silver Lake via Monte Cristo ｜ Washington Hiking

Silver Lake via Monte Cristo has really become one of my favorite hikes. It's found along the Mountain Loop Highway, offers an interesting variety of scenery and trail features, takes you through a ghost town, and does actually include a bit of challenge (most of the elevation gain comes in the couple miles between Monte Cristo and Poodle Dog Pass). There was some wildfire smoke on this particular day after I left Monte Cristo toward the Pass, but it didn't become too much to handle. Today was brightened even further by encountering a couple of toads, one of which I was able to catch on camera. His name is Todd.
Silver Lake via Monte Cristo | Washington Hiking