Where to see the mountains in October

October is when the weather changes, and the mountains show it. Fog fills the lowlands, and a gray morning in town can be a clear one a few miles up or across the Sound. Here is what we say for each mountain, and two hikes that put one in the view.

Mount Rainier

October and November bring inversions. Seattle sits under fog while the mountain stands above it in sun. On those mornings the view can be better from Tacoma or the Eastside than from Seattle. The Tacoma and Eastside pages read their own weather stations. The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are the two to watch, as in every month. From Yakima, on the east side of the crest, the app reads the line of sight from Yakima itself.

On the hike side, WTA lists Pinnacle Saddle as a Mount Rainier view hike. It is 2.5 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of gain, near Cayuse Pass and Stevens Canyon. WTA.

Mount Baker

From Vancouver, Baker is most reliable from July into early October. Late September and October often bring a run of clear cold mornings before the winter overcast sets in. Abbotsford and Bellingham are closer and are often clear when the coast is socked in. Baker's page has each region.

WTA lists Skyline Divide in the Mount Baker area. It is 9.0 miles round trip with 2,500 feet of gain. When WTA's list was read on October 8, the Deadhorse Creek Road (FR 37) was closed for flood damage, so confirm access before you go.

Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens

Both are most reliable from Portland in July through September, so October is the shoulder. Autumn inversions can put Portland under fog with St. Helens in sun above it, and the I-5 towns are often clear when Portland is not. Longview and Castle Rock are the classic St. Helens views. See St. Helens and Hood.

Larches and a summit in the same trip

The larch trails are on the east side of the Cascades, and most do not look at one of the big volcanoes. The exception in WTA's list is Maple Pass, which names Black Peak and the Liberty Bell group in the view. The full list and timing are in the larch guide.

Before you drive

Cloud and smoke are the two things that hide a mountain on a day that looks fine from home. The visibility forecast reads the airports along the line of sight and the cloud at the summit, and covers five days. A pair of 10x binoculars helps for a summit that is 60 miles off. See binoculars for mountain views.