July 02, 2021

I’ve seen Mount Rainier on postcards and the internet, the famous mountain (and volcano!) creating a familiar and steady silhouette against the skyline of the city of Seattle. I was going to finally see it in person, right in front of me.

But first, I have to get there. I stayed outside in Ashford in a quaint little inn right across from a bar and grill that is a basecamp for hikers. Finding food after a long day of hiking is strategically important.

The line to enter can get long, but not too long a wait if you have your annual pass, which they had a special line for and so I skipped most of the wait. Lots of people stop in the middle of the road to take photos in front of the entrance.

Visitor center is the first stop, where there’s the gift shop, restaurant, museum, ranger station, inn, and restrooms all made to look rustic. There’s a short trail across from this, Trail of the Shadows, where you can walk amongst the tall trees, see hot springs, old shelters, and learn why the area is named after, James Longmire, who helped establish the area as a park. Mount Rainier is there in the background, but not for me, because the fog hasn’t lifted, so it’s not visible.

It’s time to head up to the aptly named Paradise area, and along the way stop to see huge waterfalls with very accessible pull overs to walk down to actually feel the sprays of water on you. On the way is huge, rushing rivers with log crossings that has been washed away from the snow melting so quickly due to the heat wave.

At the Paradise Center, the snow hasn’t fully melted yet so it’s still packed with snow in some spots and kinda mushy in others with slush. The famous John Muir steps are partially covered in snow.

So begins the small trek to get closer to Mt. Rainier via the Nisqually Vista Trail. It’s paved so there’s strollers and wheelchairs and considerably more crowded. And then the fog begins to lift, the bluest sky emerges, and Mt. Rainier is right in front of you, looking like a projection that isn’t real – but close enough that I find myself reaching my arm up, and I’m not the only one doing this. I don’t know if the chills on my arms are from the cooler air or my excitement.

The famous wildflowers are just starting to bloom so they aren’t abundant, but little treasures popping up through the ground despite the snow. And marmots pop up too! They are much bigger than I thought they were! They observe the people and then slide back into their large holes.

Time to make my way back to the inn, but not before I stop along the many places to take more pictures. I must have taken thousands and not one of them are truly bad pictures. A crisp wrap and some live music at the grill was a great way to unwind, and the ice cream on a swinging bench looking off into the mountains was the best way to end this day.