In the midst of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, it feels a bit bizarre to write about hiking up mountains. Here in Washington state, we are in the beginning stages of social distancing. Schools closed first. Then restaurants, bars, gyms, entertainment centers, etc. I’m under the impression that it’s only a matter of weeks before we attempt a full lock down similar to Italy. Even with all this, people are still allowed to go outside for walks and hikes. Just today, I took Stone for two walks to burn off his energy. Plus the sunshine has made it all the more sweeter.
Back in October of 2019, Mt. Rainier got its first taste of snow. Snow levels dropped to 4,000-4,500 feet and Rainier was pummeled with approximately 7 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. It was time. My friend Rachael, Stone and I loaded up into my Subaru and took off for Paradise. Paradise is located on the south side of the mountain. The Paradise area is the most popular destination in the park, and the road from the Nisqually entrance is one of few roads open through the winter.
We found parking in the main lot at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center. There is also overflow parking several yards down from the main lot. We bundled up for the cold, and I laced up my hiking boots. I hate driving in boots. I actually used to drive my 1994 manual, lifted jeep barefoot with no top and no doors. Those were the days…
From the Paradise area, you can access several hiking trails from easy to strenuous depending on how much time and energy you have. I have hiked here several times before on the Skyline Loop, Myrtle Falls, Alta Vista, and Nisqually Vista. This is also the starting point for hiking to Camp Muir and even to summit Rainier. During the summer, you can see dozens of individuals returning from their summit with mountaineering groups.
Even with the roads freshly plowed and the sun beaming down, there was snow covering much of the trails. We started up part of the Alta Vista Trail, the parts we could make out at least. There seems to be a general consensus from the public that snow means all areas are walking areas. knowing how lush and beautiful these fields look in the spring and fall with boldly color wildflowers, I insisted that we stay on the trail. While we continued, Rachael headed back to the visitor center to get warm and rest. Once the trail was not easily navigated, we turned back to the visitor center. Others were running through the snow fields making snowmen and throwing snowballs.
Even in this short distance, you can feel the immense power of Mt Rainier. just up the steps we reached the compacted snow. Stone held my hand while he carefully walked beside me. We crossed streams on wooden bridges, admired the Tatoosh Range, and even held a bird. There were Grey Jays swooping around a group of people. A woman invited Stone over to wait for a jay to land in his hand. He was so excited! His face beamed with joy while we awkwardly thanked her (she didn’t speak much English and I wished we knew more languages).
Back at the visitor center, we met back up and had a few snacks. We perused the gift shop, and Stone picked out an elk toy to commemorate his trip. I got a magnet cause I couldn’t remember if we had collected one from Rainier or not. We still plan to collect magnets for each park we visit, even if it’s in our home state and without the Westy.
We had our usual bathroom break and got back in the Subaru. We decided that we weren’t quite done for the day since our first hike was so short. We stopped at Narada Falls on the way out. Narada Falls is a 176 foot fall with a horsetail at the lower tier. When you pull off the road, you can stop at the rock wall overlooking the top of the falls. If you wish to get a closer look, you can cross the bridge from the overlook to a quick 0.2 mile trail. The trail down to the viewpoint is a constant drop and usually slippery from moisture. On our trek, there were patches of snow and ice but most of the trail had melted. We carefully chose our steps to keep from slipping. Stone did great as usual, making sure he was surefooted before moving.
Since we had Rachael with us, we were actually able to get a photo of both of us at the falls. Typically, I photograph him in all his cuteness at our adventure spots. It was nice to see both our smiling faces side by side. He really is my mini me.
