Mount Rainier

As we checked out of the Olympia La Quinta, we were given “grab and go” breakfast bags that had yogurt, a water bottle, Danish, applesauce and a granola bar. We took the bags with us to eat on the road as we made our way up to Mount Rainier National Park. We stopped at a small community park along the way and ate the yogurt with the raisin bran.

Mount Rainier from Paradise Road

Our senior annual pass got us in the park for no additional fee, and we made our first stop in the former town of Longmire. The name struck us because we had read the Craig Johnson books with the main character, Walt Longmire. The air at Longmire felt cool to us, so we changed into long pants and warmer shirts at the Ranger Station bathrooms. We could see parts of the mountain, so we were anxious to get up on the mountain and on some of the trails. Glimpses of ice and snow on the mountain top made us glad to have warmer clothes. Mount Rainier is 14,411 feet and is the second highest mountain the contiguous United States. Mount Rainier is considered an active volcano, although the last confirmed eruption was in the early 1800s.

Narada Falls

As we drove up the mountain, we feared that the fog would impede our views. However, as we drove, the fog cleared and the air warmed. We stopped at Narada Falls, which is very near the road. The falls are beautiful, so we took some snapshots and walked around the area a good bit. We continued up the mountain drive.

The road had a lot of pull off where we took photos of the mountain along the way. Different angles showed the glaciers and waterfalls on the mountain. When we arrived at the National Park Paradise Visitor Center, we were surprised at how warm we were. This visitor center is at 5400 feet above sea level and receives nearly 54 feet of snow each year.

Myrtle Falls

We consulted a ranger for advice on some trails that were 1.5 to 2 miles in length that would take us to scenic waterfalls and views of the mountain. Our first trail was the Myrtle Falls trail that took us up the mountain and past an attractive small waterfall fueled by snowmelt coming down the mountain. We continued past the waterfall into a mountain meadow filled with wild huckleberries. We chatted with three local ladies who said that they have been seeing a mother bear and two cubs in the meadow on most mornings. We walked up to the area where people had been seeing the bears. A fellow told us that they had been in the meadow earlier but had gone higher up on the mountain nearer the ice field. By the time we made it up to the meadow we had shed our jackets and hats since the sun was getting us warm. We made our way down the mountain to the visitor center and had lunch at a picnic table that had a great view of the mountain. Surprisingly, we had a great cell signal there, so we sent some messages to family and friends. We went into the National Park gift shop and picked up a couple of gifts.

Nisqually Vista

After lunch we went to the car to drive to the trailhead for the Nisqually Vista Trail. This path led us to a few great spots to photograph the mountain summit as well as a stream coming off the mountain. A good many meadow wildflowers were in bloom. There were a lot of large cedar and fir trees along the walk as well as a good bit of fallen timber in the wooded area. By the time we made it back to the car, we were ready for a bottle of water and a break from walking.

Reflection Lake

We took a different path down the mountain and stopped at Reflection Lake. It lives up to its name because the water is very still and presents photographers with an opportunity to take a snapshot showing a reflection of the surrounding mountain and tree covered hills in the water.

Slot Canyon

After our quick stop at the lake, we did a short trail at a slot canyon that is only 13 feet wide and 180 feet deep. It was incredible looking into the narrow gorge and seeing a stream so far down. We marveled at how that stream had eroded through the rock to cut the narrow and deep canyon. From there we stopped at the Grove of the Patriarchs which has a number of large old trees along the mile long path. We didn’t spend much time there since we had seen many large Douglas Fir, cedar and spruce trees on other trails. We were ready to get to a hotel for some rest.

Mount Rainier from Stevens Canyon

By the time we got back to the car from our last trail hike, it was time to drive to our hotel in Vancouver, Washington. Because we had such a nice room at the Olympia La Quinta, we decided to go with La Quinta in Vancouver. We checked in quickly and found our room to be very nice. The desk clerk told us that a bag breakfast would be available in the morning.

While checking nearby restaurant reviews, we learned that the best food near our hotel was an Ei8ht Noodles Thai restaurant in a Fred Meyer strip mall. We decided to split a dinner, so Mary ordered her favorite, Pad Se Ew, which is chicken with wide noodles and broccoli dinner along with some side egg rolls. The dinner was plenty for both of us.