Got up around 6:00 am to head to Mt. Rainier NP. After our experience of getting a little later start for Logans Pass and experiencing parking stress, we decided to make this trip even earlier.
Glad we did. It took us about 2 hours to reach the park. We began our drive up the mountain to Sunrise Visitors Center. Not crowded at all! The ride up is not as thrilling as Logans Pass in Glacier but still beautiful. The road is lined with pines with an every-so-often glimpse of glacier-covered Mt Rainier. When we reached the top, there was plenty of parking.
We readied ourselves for the 2.5 mile trail up to “Frozen Lake.” We both agreed that this was one of our favorite hikes. It was an pretty easy with views all the way.
Mt. Rainier is around 14,000 ft. Sunrise Visitors Center is about 7,000 ft. About 10,000 people attempt to climb to the summit each year and about 50% make it. People have died making this climb as a result of falls or avalanches. It’s a striking mountain that can be seen from everywhere. What struck us about the mountains here is that unlike other National Parks that have a large single chain of mountains, this park has multiple chains resulting in beautiful dimensional mountain views.
There were lots of meadow flowers. One of the most common is called the lupine, a beautiful purple flower. We saw them in all the parks so far except for the Badlands.
After our hike we went to the Visitors Center and then headed to our car to descend the mountain. As we left we saw that not only was the parking lot full but there was a line of cars waiting to enter the lot. Down we went zig zagging the mountain with the white-capped Mt. Rainier in view. As we approached the exit gate we again saw a line of cars. And what a line! There was a least 1 miles of cars waiting to get into the park. We looked at each other thankful that we got up to catch the early worm!
Some of you know that Pat is fond of Costco and since she hadn’t been in a store since we left Pittsburgh we decided to find a store. After all, this is where it all started. Their first store was in Seattle. WA. And in fact, their headquarter offices are here in Issaquah where we are staying. We picked up a few things including Kirkland beer. Tim thought he would give it a try. The store was huge and very crowded. Pat got her fix!
Back we headed to our Airstream to shower and head to Mass. Tomorrow we are spending time with our niece Molly and her little daughter June. Looking forward to seeing them.
Patricia Rowlands
110 chapters
16 Apr 2020
July 29, 2017
|
Mt. Rainier National Park
Got up around 6:00 am to head to Mt. Rainier NP. After our experience of getting a little later start for Logans Pass and experiencing parking stress, we decided to make this trip even earlier.
Glad we did. It took us about 2 hours to reach the park. We began our drive up the mountain to Sunrise Visitors Center. Not crowded at all! The ride up is not as thrilling as Logans Pass in Glacier but still beautiful. The road is lined with pines with an every-so-often glimpse of glacier-covered Mt Rainier. When we reached the top, there was plenty of parking.
We readied ourselves for the 2.5 mile trail up to “Frozen Lake.” We both agreed that this was one of our favorite hikes. It was an pretty easy with views all the way.
Mt. Rainier is around 14,000 ft. Sunrise Visitors Center is about 7,000 ft. About 10,000 people attempt to climb to the summit each year and about 50% make it. People have died making this climb as a result of falls or avalanches. It’s a striking mountain that can be seen from everywhere. What struck us about the mountains here is that unlike other National Parks that have a large single chain of mountains, this park has multiple chains resulting in beautiful dimensional mountain views.
There were lots of meadow flowers. One of the most common is called the lupine, a beautiful purple flower. We saw them in all the parks so far except for the Badlands.
After our hike we went to the Visitors Center and then headed to our car to descend the mountain. As we left we saw that not only was the parking lot full but there was a line of cars waiting to enter the lot. Down we went zig zagging the mountain with the white-capped Mt. Rainier in view. As we approached the exit gate we again saw a line of cars. And what a line! There was a least 1 miles of cars waiting to get into the park. We looked at each other thankful that we got up to catch the early worm!
Some of you know that Pat is fond of Costco and since she hadn’t been in a store since we left Pittsburgh we decided to find a store. After all, this is where it all started. Their first store was in Seattle. WA. And in fact, their headquarter offices are here in Issaquah where we are staying. We picked up a few things including Kirkland beer. Tim thought he would give it a try. The store was huge and very crowded. Pat got her fix!
Back we headed to our Airstream to shower and head to Mass. Tomorrow we are spending time with our niece Molly and her little daughter June. Looking forward to seeing them.
1.
Two More Days
2.
The Travel Plan
3.
Day 1 - We're off!
4.
Day 2: Cheesehead Country
5.
Day 3 Lots of Corn!
6.
Day 4 - Row-lands in the Bad-lands
7.
Day 5 - H-O-T!!
8.
Day 5 - Badlands Pictures
9.
Day 6 - Incredible!
10.
Day 6 - Mt. Rushmore Pictures
11.
Day 7 - Custer's Last Stand
12.
Day 7 - Pictures from Little Bighorn
13.
Day 8 - Dam!
14.
Day 9 - Touring
15.
Day 9 Pictures
16.
Day 10 - Touring
17.
Day 10 - Pictures
18.
Day 11 - Touring
19.
Day 12 - Touring
20.
Day 12 - Pictures
21.
Day 13 - Touring
22.
Day 14 - Touring
23.
Day 15 - Touring
24.
Day 16 - Goodbye Yellowstone - Hello Grand Tetons!
25.
Day 16 - Grand Teton Pictures
26.
Day 17 - Chipmunk in a Canoe only $249
27.
Day 17 - Pictures of Jackson Hole, WY
28.
Day 17 - Pictures of Jackson Hole, WY
29.
Day 18 - Wayne
30.
Day 19 - Our Glacier Park Arrival
31.
Day 20 - Food & Forests!!
32.
Day 21 - Yodelayheehoo!
33.
Day 21 - Logans Pass & Many Glaciers Hotel Pictures
34.
Day 21 - Logans Pass & Many Glaciers Pictures
35.
Day 22 - Oh Canada!
36.
Day 22 - Waterton NP Canada Pictures
37.
Day 23 - All Aboard!
38.
Day 23 - Lake McDonald Boat Ride
39.
Day 24 - Whitefish Revisited
40.
Day 24 - Pictures of Whitefish, Montana
41.
Day 25 - The Gem State
42.
Day 25 - Pictures
43.
Day 26 - Hard-hearted People
44.
Day 26 - Pictures
45.
Day 27 - Change of Plans
46.
Day 28 - Crossing Washington
47.
Day 29 - Our Sixth National Park
48.
Day 29 - Pictures
49.
Day 29 - Pictures
50.
Day 30 - Our Airstream
51.
Day 30 - Sleepless In Seattle
52.
Day 30 -Pictures
53.
Day 31 - Jimi would love it!
54.
Day 31 - Pictures
55.
Day 31 - Pictures
56.
Day 32 - Park #7
57.
Day 33 - Hoh my, this is different!
58.
Day 33 - Pictures
59.
Day 33 - Pictures
60.
Day 33 - Pictures
61.
Day 33 - Pictures
62.
Day 34 - Stinky Sol Duc
63.
Day 35 - We finally see Mt. Olympus
64.
Day 35 - Pictures
65.
Day 36 - Checking Out the Falls
66.
Day 36 - Pictures
67.
Day 36 - Pictures
68.
Day 37 - 9 Hours Later
69.
Day 37 - Pictures
70.
Day 38 - We gotta get outta this place……
71.
Day 38 Pictures
72.
Day 39 - R & R
73.
Day 40 - Anything is a Blessing
74.
Day 40 - Pictures
75.
Day 41 - Beauty Spot
76.
Day 41 - Pictures
77.
Day 41 - Pictures
78.
Day 41 - Pictures
79.
Day 42 - A Three-Hour Tour
80.
Day 42 - Pictures
81.
Day 42 - Pictures
82.
Day 43 - Beer Here!!
83.
Day 43 - Pictures
84.
Day 44 - Lazy Sunday
85.
Day 45 - High Desert
86.
Day 46 - Central Oregon
87.
Day 47 - Just Around the Bend
88.
Day 48 - Back Into Idaho
89.
Day 48 - Pictures
90.
Day 49 & 50 - Heading East
91.
Day 49 & 50 - Pictures
92.
Day 51 - A Real Surprise!
93.
Day 51 - Pictures
94.
Day 51 - Pictures
95.
Day 51 - Pictures
96.
Day 52 - Rocky Mountain Fever
97.
Day 53 - Changes in Altitude
98.
Day 53 - Pictures
99.
Day 54 - Hittin' the Trail
100.
Day 54 - Pictures
101.
Day 55 - Smokin' Dave
102.
Day 55 - Pictures
103.
Day 56 - Travel, Traffic & Costco
104.
Day 57 - Highest yet!
105.
Day 57 - Pictures
106.
Day 58 - Bad Karma
107.
Day 58 - Pictures
108.
Day 59 - In Heaven
109.
Day 59 - Pictures
110.
Day 60-66 -The Journey is its Own Reward - Homer
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