July 31
We continued our drive toward Mount Rainier National Park, WA. Mount Rainier, formed only about 500,000 years ago, is an active volcano with the potential to erupt again, like Mount St. Helens. From various places around the park one can see four other volcanoes in the Cascades: Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Baker, and Glacier Peak. Mount Rainer, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range at 14,410 ft, is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states and one of the consistently snowiest places on Earth. Usually hidden by clouds, the mountain is so tall that it blocks moisture-laden weather systems from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the record-setting amounts of snow and lots of rainfall on the western slopes. Mount Rainier is a mountain wonderland famous for its incredible wildflower meadows, extensive snowfields, rugged glaciers, and dense forests. Mount Fuji in Japan is Mount Rainier’s sister mountain.
We entered the park at the southwestern Nisqually entrance and pulled into Cougar Rock Campground after about 125 miles. We were excited that the peak of Mount Rainer was not covered by clouds and we took several pictures just in case it would be hidden the following days. Before dinner we hiked the 2 -mile round trip trail to Carter Falls (trail head just south of the campground). This trail coincides with the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile loop that circles around the entire base of Mount Rainier. The Carter Falls Trail crosses over the Nisqually River (meltwater from the Nisqually Glacier) on a rustic one-log bridge. Although the river doesn’t fill its rocky bed this late in the summer, it is still incredibly powerful and cloudy with glacial flour (pulverized rock). One could hear boulders tumbling around in the flow. The Carter Falls Trail continues and follows the Paradise River through old-growth forest. Paralleling the trail, we saw a long stretch of thick, old pipe made entirely of wood planks and held together with iron windings (like a wine barrel). We later learned it used to transport water to the town of Longmire. Another 150 feet past Carter Falls took us to Madcap Falls.
August 1
In the morning we promptly headed to the very pretty Paradise further into the park. Paradise is the most popular area, for good reason, and finding a parking space can be difficult if one doesn’t arrive early enough. The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center and the Paradise Inn are located here. We began our awesome loop hike on the Dead Horse Creek Trail to Skyline Trail, Pebble Creek Trail, High Skyline Trail, and Skyline Trail. The whole time we had a close-up look at Mount Rainier and its glaciers. We all agreed that this hike was one of the top four of all the hikes we had ever done. It was really spectacular and the weather was perfect. We crossed meadows thick with stunning wildflowers, glacial meltwater creeks, expanses of thick snow, and rocky, exposed slopes. We saw gorgeous waterfalls, boulder-strewn valleys, twisted and stunted alpine trees, the impressive Tatoosh Range to the south, and of course, the tremendous glaciers above us. A few times we could hear either the glacial ice cracking or rocks falling high up on the mountain. Several shaggy marmots, undisturbed by our presence, grazed on wildflowers and lounged on sunny boulders right by the path. During the last 10 minutes of the hike we got caught in a rain shower, a reminder of Mount Rainier’s unpredictable weather. As quickly as it started, the rain stopped, the clouds disappeared, and the sun began shining. The entire hike was only about 5.2 miles but packed in enough amazing scenery for 15 miles.
On our way back to the campground we drove the 2-mile one-way road past Paradise and the short Ricksecker Point Road which offered other views of Mount Rainier, Nisqually Valley, and the Tatoosh Range.
August 2
We didn’t get quite as early of a start and had to retrace the same stretch of road three times to find a parking space at the Comet Falls trail head. Finally we got going on this very strenuous 3.8-mile round trip hike uphill to spectacular 320 ft high Comet Falls, one of the highest falls in the park. Along the way one can also see Christine Falls and a rustic stone bridge. Standing at the base of Comet Falls we got a bit wet from the cool, blowing mist. A beautiful rainbow stretched across the base. We decided to add on a spur hike of 2 miles round trip to Van Trump Park. This trail continued to climb steeply for a total elevation gain of 2,000 ft. It took us through dense forest, alpine fir forest, and alpine meadows to a pretty area with more gorgeous views of Mount Rainier from a different angle, the Kautz and Van Trump Glaciers, and the extensive mountain ranges to the south, including again Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. Van Trump Park made a perfect lunch spot. We had heard thunder rumbling for a while around us but decided the storm would miss us. At that point pea-sized hail began to fall. We scrambled to collect our packs and lunch containers and headed underneath some sparse fir trees for cover. The hail continued to sting our skin and we finally put on our hats. We marveled at the strange weather and headed back down the nearly 3 miles of knee-busting slope. Along the way we again passed a steep, rocky slope. Liam spotted a pika! As we looked, we saw several more scurrying over and under the rocks. One called out a warning to the others as it stood guard. A smaller, younger, and even cuter one, if that is possible, frolicked near the path. Earlier we were so busy panting uphill that we totally overlooked them!
The Davids' Cross-Country Trip 