Blogs from Mt Rainier, Washington, United States, North America - page 3

August 17-18th, 2010: Mount Rainier, Ever-Looming Camping outside/visiting Mt. Rainier National Park in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Mt. Rainier, the 5th highest peak in North America and the tallest point in Washington State looms large, easily seen on clear days, even from Seattle. At 14,400 feet, it dwarfs all other peaks. It’s on the bucket list for many climbers, and 1000s of people have summated the peak, usually leaving from Camp Muir at 3 a.m. It’s serious stuff, and each year, the mountain claims some lives (at least 1000 deaths have stemmed from mountaineering accidents/Hype-related (altitude conditions) incidents. There’s no doubt that this hunka’ rock is very alluring (but, of course, unattainable to me…). I chose the least-visited (even though it’s the closest to Seattle) corner of the park, the Northwest. I wanted to drive to ... read more

Today we took the perfect hike (suggested by one of the long-time employees at Alta Crystal), through a variety of terrains (forest, meadow, tundra, barren rock) in perfect weather, with perfect views of Mt. Rainier and the incredible Emmons glacier on the east side of the mountain. So much gorgeousness, it’s hard to describe! The only downsides were a very narrow section of the trail with a sheer drop-off and shale like rock surface—Dave’s height issues kicked in; heck, even I had a few “issues”! And then we passed through so many meadow areas of dried out, dead wildflowers, which would have been spectacular a couple of months earlier. Oh well—gives us an excuse to make a return visit during wildflower season! We finished off the day, relaxing by the pool and enjoying a cioppino dinner, ... read more

...Continued There were few faces along the river. Many were leftover weekend-goers from the 4th of July festivities. Others were people, families and wayward souls living off the grid. They were stationed in the forest with their old dusty RVs, outdoor picnic benches setup as an all-in-one kitchen, dining room and den, and 4H petting zoos. One group tethered two goats where food scraps were tossed beside a carriage of horses that slashed their black wispy tails at flies in the shades. Off the grid and way off the grid. Once passing by we saw a tan dirty-blonde family of all ages caring for each animal while the baby-stroller sat near the fire, downwind and getting smoked out. Michael and I were geared up in our very own Explorer’s-Land: an oa... read more

Sometimes the best scenery is in your own backyard... I'm scheduled to depart for Australia and New Zealand on the 1st of October. My pit stop back in Seattle has been good... I had my third annual MRI (cancer free!) and got to experience one of the most beautiful hikes in the world... The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, which is only a 2-hour drive from my house. My hiking companion, Dave, had been wanting to hike the Wonderland Trail for many years. He is an experienced outdoorsman who knows all the backcountry survival skills that I lack. We completed the entire trail over 2 segments. After 4 and a half days of hiking during the first segment, a storm blew in, forcing us to reschedule the last segment for two weeks later. All in all, ... read more

Just got back from a camping trip to Mount Rainier with my parents, who had booked an extra camp site and Lauryn & I jumped at the opportunity to join them. We camped at Cougar Rock Campground, a typical car-camping spot, and in the morning we caught one of the frequent shuttles up to Paradise Inn and the Visitor's Center. There are a couple trails that lead out from the visitor's center and all are in great shape and nice and wide for hikers to easily traverse. We did the loop up to Panorama Point and the views of the mountain, the meadows, and South to the Cascade Range were all amazing. I've attached a number of photos, and look forward to our next opportunity to visit.... read more