Well after checking the weather, Brian decided we needed to head south…and that’s how we ended up at Mt Rainier!!
Luckily we got a place right outside the park called Stone Creek Lodge with adorable cabins and a bon fire with s’mores every night. Couldn’t say enough about the place!!
Scoping the mountain out the day we got there proved wise. Beautiful waterfalls and views even for a cloudy day!!
However , the next day we were ready at the crack of dawn to hike the Skyline Trail up to the Panoramic point. On the mountain by 7:30 we started up what I can only describe as a straight up hike. One where breaks to take pictures ( really to catch your breath) were required every 100 ft. Climbing 1700 ft elevation in under 2 miles was a first for me but worth every step!! Doing the trail clockwise gave us the best views and got the worst part of the hike over first
The view did not disappoint!!! We could see Mt Helen, Mt Adam ,and Mt Hood in all their glory. Seeing Mt Helen was emotional and talking to people who lived here at the time of the eruption was so surreal. Seeing the mountain just hits you hard as to how vulnerable we all are to Mother Nature
We sat for over three hours enjoying the sites and talking with people from all over the world who just love to come to our National Park’s. It was mesmerizing watching young guys hiking the trail with skis and boats heading to towards the top. As we sat and ate we could here the Glacier crack! One was so loud that we thought for sure something had broken off!!
By 1:00 the fog rolled in and we headed down the other side. The hike down did not disappoint. Beautiful fields on both sides filled with marmites I even had the pleasure of being chased by one down the trail !! Only to run into a bear not ten minutes later coming towards us on the trail. It was a cub and was not fazed one bit by us. We quickly got off the trail to let him do his thing and stood at a distance as he and another bear ate and played in the grass… great way to end the day!
People say you are lucky if you get to see one of the mountains in full view. We have been here less than five days and have seen two beautiful mountains in full view. Spectacular doesn’t seem to say enough about the beauty. But the best part has been sharing this experience with my son Brian. As a parent we spend so much time and energy raising our kids that time just flies. Having this time one on one is something I will always treasure!
Tomorrow we head into Seattle since weather will be bad not sure what the day will bring and then we head home. Feeling very blessed I have children I’m so proud of and that still want to spend time with their mom. Who could ask for anything more