On Sunday we got up early, and Chris, Dave, Heather, Diane, Uncle Jimmy, and I headed to Mt. Rainier National Park. Words can’t describe how spectacular that place is. It’s even super cool just when you can see it from Seattle and Tacoma… it’s very surreal.
Mt. Rainier is still an active volcano, it will actually pose a very serious threat to the Seattle/Tacoma area when it erupts, and the whole top part is covered with glaciers. We came in from the Southwest at the Nisqually Entrance. We did a short hike at Sunshine Point and got some nice views from far away. Then we headed to the Longmire area, where we checked out a few buildings, got information on the hiking trails, and grabbed a shuttle up to the Paradise area.
Paradise is very aptly named. That area of the mountain is covered in meadows, wildflowers, streams, and waterfalls. It was absolutely breathtaking. From Paradise we hiked back down the mountain to Longmire. I think we did the Lakes Trail to the Wonderland Trail. The terrain changed many times, from open meadows to old growth forests to a river washout. It was all amazingly beautiful and we had a wonderful day.
