Dead beargrasses, withered leaves. Not much color on the once beautiful slope. However, a good workout, and a pleasant drive, now that the trees are quite colorful all along the way. Mt Rainier was wearing a cloudy hat all day long. Good weather, maybe the last before next May.On the way back, stop by North Bend's Twede Cafe (named after its new owner), heavily featured in the TV series Twin Peaks. Tried their "famous" pie (was ok). Next stop was Snoqualmie Falls. Still a lot of water and people.