Mt. Rainier Adventures
Today was spent doing two things: driving and hiking. Ash and I left around 9am to pick up some friends and then started the long drive to Mt. Rainier. It was a longer drive than expected because we accidentally drove about 20 mins going the wrong direction on Route 7. This put us in a pretty run-down town and this was definitely a bit depressing. Everything in the town felt old and broken, including the people living there.
We drove to three different places looking for a public restroom, unfortunately every place we went to either didn’t have one or their bathroom was closed. We realized this was most likely due to the large homeless population… like I said, this town was depressing. You know a place has seen better days when you pass three Money Tree’s, a place called “Bad Boy’s Bail Bonds,” and you can’t remember the last time you saw a Starbucks. Needless to say, this gives you a new perspective on your own life and living situation.
We eventually did make our way to Mt. Rainier. After paying $10 for entry (it’s $10 per car and the pass is good for 7 days… not bad) we did a bit of driving to gain some elevation.
This was the view from the first scenic vantage point.
After driving quite a bit higher we reached Paradise. This is one of the main destinations for those visiting Mt. Rainier, and we were no exception. We began our hike and that is when the real fun/torture began. I say “fun/torture” because while the scenery and wildlife were amazing to see, I was not prepared physically for the amount of hiking that we did. I think a lot of it had to do with the elevation because I was really getting tired and dizzy near the top.
On the way up we ran into a few squirrels or chipmunks, I’m not sure which they were as I’m terrible at that kind of thing. Feel free to imform me if you know.
This one was playing hide-and-go-seek.
While others were being nice and posing for us.
A little sunbathing was in order afterwards.
We finally reached some glaciers and had some fun in the snow. It’s great being able to play in the snow on a sunny day in your T-shirt. I also drank some of the glacier run-off because we had decided earlier to leave the drinks in the car. I figure that’s about as clean as water gets in nature, so why not. Glacier water is damn cold and damn good after you’ve just hiked a few miles without a drink, trust me on this one.
Ash posing in front of the glaciers.
Ash resting at the top of our hike.
When we reached the top of the trail we were on the view was breathtaking. There were other mountains in the distance (like the one below) and we could see the bridge and valley we crossed only hours earlier on the way there. It was a great place to rest up and snap a few pics.
We finally headed back down towards the car. Going downhill was much easier than going up, but it still took some patience and work. It did seem to take much less time so that was a nice bonus. As the air got thicker I really noticed a big difference in how tired I felt as well. It’s a weird feeling to gain energy and feel better even though you are still hiking.
At one point we actually got to see a wild bear. Unfortunately it was so far away it looked like nothing more than a brown blob. I got some photos but they aren’t that impressive. Farther down the mountain we came upon a deer and a fawn, this kept our attention for a good 10 minutes until they finally walked off into the trees.
All in all it was well worth the drive and the tiredness I now feel. I got some great photos and it was fun to get out of the apartment and spend some quality time with friends. I think the next time we go to Mt. Rainier we will try to camp there, hopefully this would give us more time to hike new trails as well as get some down-time at the campsite. While the drive wasn’t too bad, it really does eat up a good bit of the day.
August 30th, 2004 at 7:28 am
Damn I miss the PNW…Oklahoma sucks ass, dont ever come here!
August 30th, 2004 at 8:01 am
That’s awesome, Kevin. I haven’t been to Mt. Ranier since I was a baby. Makes me want to go. Nice description of the ghetto town you found yourselves in.
P.S. I think it’s probably for the best that you saw the bear from such a distance, hehe.
August 30th, 2004 at 9:01 am
Yeah, I know what you mean about the hiking and all that comes with it. I spent 10 days in the backcountry of NM hiking with a pack that was 1/3 of my body weight. You know it is heavy when they weigh it on a meat hook. But, like you said, it is simply amazing. There really is nothing like hiking, or doing anything in the outdoors. I used to frequent the outdoors when I was back in MN, but I have YET to get out here in WA. Kinda sad. But, anywho… looks like you had tons of fun! Nice pics and now you make me want to go.
August 30th, 2004 at 3:58 pm
i dont know much about animals, but i watch a lot of cartoons. alvin the chipmunk didn’t have much of a tail, and rocky the squirrel has a big bushy tail. those look like chipmunks to me cuz of the stripes on the back.
hey, and if i wanted to use your pass for next weekend, do i also have to borrow your car?
August 30th, 2004 at 5:03 pm
I don’t think so, but I left the pass in my brothers car because we took that instead of mine. I might go home Friday, so let me know if you want it and I’ll take a look.