Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington is one of my favorite parks to visit.
After visiting the Lower Lewis River Falls in Washington, where I had camped for a week, I drove up to Mt. Rainier National Park. I am so happy it was open, as so many campgrounds have closed due to the COVID-19 virus. The only campground open in Mt Rainier was the Cougar Rock campground, so that is where I camped for a week.
I am so happy to be outdoors, enjoying the natural places in our country.
Mt. Rainier is our nations fifth National Park. Now there are 62, and I am proud to say I have visited every one of them! Mt. Rainier is 14,410 feet tall, and is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range.
The day I arrived was filled with blue sky, puffy clouds and sunshine. I drove over to the Nisqually River and hiked around, then walked over the bridge and stood in the midst of this grandeur. The picture above is looking up the river, and the picture below is looking downriver from the bridge.
When the rivers have that murky mocha look, it is usually due to crushed pieces of rock that the glaciers have ground up.
The Scenic Viewpoint drive on the road to Paradise, truly yielded some of the most perfect scenery. I met people all along the way who had stopped and were taking pictures just like me. My favorite were two young men who rode their motorcycles from Olympia to see Mt. Rainier. They were brimming with excitement and couldn't stop talking about all they had seen.
Christine Falls was one of the many waterfalls I saw on this trip. It seemed like everywhere I looked, water was flowing out of the rocks, down the hills and over the meadows. Even though snow is melting all over the mountain, a lot of the trails were still covered in snow. People were skiing down the hills in Paradise, and others were just hiking out in their boots, then putting their skis on and going for it.
One sweet white flower, so gentle and dainty.
Back at my campsite I was munching on salsa chips when this doe came in and wouldn't leave. Yes, I broke the rules and gave her a chip, and then she really wouldn't leave. She started licking my chair and my tablecloth, and then I got nervous. Deer germs everywhere. I shooed her out, got out my spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and sprayed everything in sight. No more chips for her!
Across from my campground at Cougar Rock in Mt. Rainier, lies the trailhead for Carter Falls.
The trail crosses Paradise Valley, which is covered by all this gorgeous driftwood and rocks.
The trail itself is well marked and relatively easy. It was just that I had to cross this narrow bridge over the Nisqually River, TWICE, if I wanted to get up there and back to my campsite. It took me a very long time to work up the courage, and several times I started but had to turn back. It was terrifying for me. I made it across, and tried not to think about doing it on the way back.
After I crossed the bridge, the trail headed up, and up and up. A bit of a challenge.
Carter Falls was beautiful and I was so happy I didn't give up and miss out on this place.
Another area along the river where I would go and just sit and stare at everything. It made me so happy to see the trees, the rocks, the bushes, the flowers, the clouds, the sky, the mountains and the river. So very happy.
Some of the plants and wildflowers in Mt. Rainier National Park!
I walked down in the rain to another massive waterfall, Narada Falls. A bit slippery, but so incredibly gratifying to see. The rainbow across the falls looked so pretty.
Reflection Lake, still covered in the melting ice, was a gorgeous place. It was here I saw several guys get out their skis and start out into the snow. I later found out that while I was camping at Mt. Rainier, three non-related hikers, all young men, had gone missing. The body of one man who had been skiing on Liberty Ridge was found dead in a crevasse at the bottom of a cliff. God be with his family and friends. Nature is fierce, which is why I love it. However I do respect it, and take extra care while in the mountains.
This view of Reflection Lake was taken in late June 2020. It looks like the dead of winter, but to us it is summer time. It rained almost every day of my stay in the park, but I kept warms with fires and down quilts.
It is so cold here at Mt. Rainier, and so incredibly green. It seems especially green since I live in a relatively dry, climate, with warm ocean breezes.
Hot pink Shooting Star wildflowers were blooming throughout the park.
There is a beautiful hike in the Longmire section of the park called the Trail of the Shadows. It winds through the marshlands, cedar forests, around the ruins of the mineral springs, an old 19th century cabin and several old bridges.
It was a short trail which then branched upward to a longer trail that took me to the view overlooking Longmire. That part went up and up and up. I must be getting old as I almost died.
It was so nice to be in the forest, a place that always makes me feel safe.
Lush greenery fills the marshland in Longmire.
One last trip to a small creek, where I ate my lunch and just relaxed.
My last day in the park was cold and cloudy. I was so thankful to be out and about, enjoying the places I love so dearly. Thank you Lord for your goodness and kindness to me.