Today Rob planned a scenic drive for us with special stops
at locations with the best Mt. Rainier views. From our lodge we had a short
drive to Reflection Lakes. The sun was out and Rob quickly grabbed his camera
gear, leaving the keys in the Wing ignition. It’s very unlike him to run off
without securing the bike so Michele figured he had a small window to get the
perfect shot. With no wind or breeze, the lake is perfectly situated to reflect
Mt. Rainier.
Rob and Jerry walked down the path a bit to catch shots of the
steam and fog rolling across the lake. Once the breeze picked up, the shots
were lost so we pushed on.
Next stop was about an hour away. We headed north on Stevens
Canyon Road. As we gained elevation the fog or a marine layer was on the east
side of the mountain and really socked us in. There were no views.
We arrived
at Tipsoo Lake in fog. Rob promptly announced “This may be a nothing
hamburger.” The fog was so thick it didn’t seem like it would clear in 15
minutes. We had trouble seeing across the small lake. This lake was also a
reflection lake, and, judging by the size of the parking lot and picnic tables,
it’s likely a stunning site to see the mountain reflected in the water. We took
the short walk around the lake anyway, looking at wildflowers and the dew on
the evergreens.
Back on the bike, we pushed on north to the Sunrise area of
the park. Once we got around the other side of the mountain, suddenly the sun
was out and the fog was nonexistent. The road was really scenic with plenty of
curves as we made our way up to 6,000 feet in elevation.
At the top, the
parking area was busy. We arrived just before Noon and were able to order lunch
at the snack shop before the lines got long. Rob scoped out a picnic spot and
told Michele and Jerry to meet him there. They walked all around looking for
Rob but couldn’t find him. The picnic area was set up in between trees and
wildflowers at the base of trails leading up into the surrounding mountains.
Eventually they found him deeper in the picnic area where he secured a spot
with a direct view of the mountain. He said he came upon what he thinks was a
young elk not 10 feet from him! It wandered off before he could get a picture.
We enjoyed lunch looking at the glaciers on the mountain and planning the rest
of our afternoon. After lunch we made a quick stop in the Sunrise Visitor
Center and learned that the Emmons Glacier, which is the largest of the
glaciers on Mt. Rainier, is 200 feet deep!
We left Sunrise and headed back towards the Paradise area of
the park, 2 hours away, and closer to our lodge. The travel times are deceptive
in this park due to the low speed limit and twisty roads. The Paradise area was
packed with cars and extremely busy. Rob originally wanted to stay in the
Paradise lodge but it was under renovation with no promise of a May 2019
completion, so he didn’t want to risk it. We can see the appeal of this area as
the mountain is right there and many trails begin just from the lodge doorstep.
However, it looked a bit chaotic and we appreciated the smaller, calmer vibe of
the Mountain Inn Lodge. This area has a quick scenic drive loop that is one-way
and offers great views of the mountain.
Once done there, we headed back to our
hotel about 30 minutes away.
Before dinner, we took a one-hour walk through the Trail of
the Shadows, a .7 mile loop around the grassy marshland just across from our
lodge. This area was really cool, with huge pines and cedars. We learned that
frogs and giant salamanders live in the area, but they stayed hidden despite
our hope to see them. Not long after we got on the path a man carrying a large
container of hummus asked us if we had seen a small 10 year old boy. We did
not. He yelled for his son saying there was a big snake nearby, supposedly to
entice him to come running over. It didn’t work and we though the whole
situation a bit odd. We walked back to the area where Rob took the
constellation pictures last night. As we were looking across at the mountain
the kid started yelling from across the marsh. Jerry yelled for the man to come
back for his son. They soon started yelling across the marsh at each other. We
couldn’t take it so we headed onward along the path. Not long after, we heard
screams and yells truly like that kid was being attacked by a bear or
something. Then a woman came running down the path yelling wildly for her son.
We told her he and the Dad were behind us. It was bizarre. We hope they all
were reunited and consider indoor activities in the future! We kept going and
finally found solitude in the woods. A few gigantic trees had fallen and from
them new trees found growth. We finished the hike and met for dinner at 6pm in
the lodge dining room. Rob and Jerry chatted about camera features in
preparation for more sunset and constellation photography tonight. They got amazing shots, even seeing satellites (the streak in the second shot).
Tomorrow we depart Mt. Rainier, do our laundry in the
morning, head to Cannon Beach and ultimately to Olympic National Park.
This park really exceeded our expectations and the mountain
is so impressive. It’s obvious we need to return and take advantage of hiking
trails.
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