We are so fortunate to have a national park like Mount Rainier waiting essentially at our doorstep. Just a couple of hours south of Seattle, it’s actually close enough the traveling time really isn’t too bad. Yet compared to our familiar suburban Edmonds home, we were entering another world, seemingly very far away.
Grabbed a nice spot on the ‘D-Loop’ of the White River Campgrounds, where we quickly unpacked all our gear, tucked there on the east, or back side of the mountain. Set up beside the paved road, across from a bluff overlooking the river, and for me the location was absolutely perfect. We found ourselves situated exactly opposite a small riverside campsite, where I had once enjoyed my own motorcycle camping trip, only some 30 years before!
Just as soon as we could pitch the tent, and lay out our sleeping bags, we decided to set off for the first hike closest to camp. Rising from White River basin, the trail head sign simply stated the distance up to Sunrise was only 2.6 miles. What we didn’t know prior to leaving was we were going to climb nearly 3000′ of steep switchbacks before reaching the top of the high ridge! As might be expected, my greatest challenge was simply catching my breath in the thin mountain air. The old body kept trudging forward, but I desperately gasped to fill lungs with needed oxygen. Reality can be so totally humbling for a sea level city dweller like myself.
After a very well deserved rest and snack break at the edge of beautiful Sunrise meadow, we headed on down off the ridge, and back to camp. Along the trail down, stopped to talk with a park ranger, and jokingly I asked if there was some way to get a ticket flying around the mountain on that helicopter we saw passing overhead, back and forth. Frowning, she replied solemnly “That’s a ticket you really don’t want, because first you have to be dead.” Oh God… Did I feel like a complete ass just then.
Next day we trekked upward along the moraine basin trail, which forked a few miles up to the incredible Emmons Glacier overlook. Then half way down the trail, and back up again to the beautiful meadow that clings in Glacier Basin. While hiking our way back down to our campsite, was surprised by a small mountain frog just hopping along the trail beside me! Too bad I just couldn’t get my camera out and focused fast enough for proof!
Returned to Sunrise again the following day (driving up in the van this time!) where we began a short ridge line walk, following a breathtaking vista of the Silver Forest Trail. Feeling better and slightly more acclimated, we hiked out of Sunrise, proceeding along Sourdough Ridge, with incredible views overlooking Huckleberry Creek and Berkeley Park. Carefully following a cold and rock strewn path that wound up to see Frozen Lake, then turning around toward Sunrise again, along a well trodden stretch of the famous Wonderland Trail.
After breaking camp Friday morning, we rounded the bottom of the mountain, doing more or less just a drive by visit to Paradise. We walked around in the Visitor Center and Paradise Lodge, but there was no time left for hiking, as I wanted to be through Seattle before heavy afternoon traffic set in. Thus we shared a family week together in the deep embrace of forests, accompanied by the wildlife of Mount Rainier, taking nothing but photos, leaving nothing but footprints. It can also officially stated this was the first time we’ve been camping as a family that the sky did not rain on us even once!
Returned from our camping trip to Mount Rainier somewhat tired, I unpacked, sorted and cleaned the gear, while calming down one traumatized house kitty. Kathryn had stopped by each night while we were gone to water the garden, and to feed Leo. Still, he most certainly didn’t take well to not going outside all week. Purring happily to see his humans after such a long absence, Leo desperately wanted his freedom from the house, stalking back inside and out again until late into the night.
“…the most luxuriant and the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens I ever beheld in all my mountain-top wanderings.”
– John Muir, on Mount Rainier’s Paradise Meadow
