Noble Knob

Trip Report

I was in my bivvy sack on the summit of Noble Knob reading by headlamp when I saw something descending upon me from the corner of my eye. I looked up into the night sky and saw a large owl swooping down at me. I raised my arms and the owl veered away. It flew around the summit a couple times, then came at me again, and again. I had a big grin on my face as I kept my arms between me and the owl. It was so cool, I'd never seen an owl hunting at night. After a few minutes it flew off towards a meadowed valley.

Later that night I woke to the sound of fat raindrops hitting my bivvy sack. I blearily peered at the sky, when I went to sleep it was clear, now there were black clouds above me and lightening flashing in the distance. I went back to sleep.

At 4:30 AM I woke and noticed two stars on the eastern horizon. They were swollen and orange, like a harvest moon. They were the only stars visible in the sky, peeking under the cloud cover that didn't quite stretch all the way to the eastern horizon.

References

• SeattlePI.com: Noble Knob

Travel Times

• 2 hours 12 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne to Noble Knob trail head
• 1 hour 52 minutes ascending from Noble Knob trail head (5,245') to Summit of Noble Knob
• 1 hour 8 minutes descending from Summit of Noble Knob (5,620') to Summit of Mutton Mountain
• 32 minutes descending from Summit of Mutton Mountain (5,740') to Noble Knob trail head

Start of Noble Knob trail

North side of Mutton Mountain

South side of Noble Knob

NE ridge of Noble Knob

Obligatory Mount Rainier picture

Harebell

Indian Paintbrush

Noble Knob from Mutton Mountain