- 4,822
- Concord, CA
- kylehnat
So I just now realized that I've already brought you photo journals from three mountains: Washington's Mt. St. Helens, Hawaii's Haleakala, and California's Mt. Diablo. Too many? NO! YOU GET ANOTHER! As majestic as the aforementioned peaks are (8365, 10023, and 3849 ft, respectively), they are all dwarfed by a mountain that's closer to home: Mt. Rainier. At 14,410 feet tall, it's the highest point in Washington state, which makes it pretty easy to find. Sadly, you cannot get anywhere near the top unless you are a mountain climber, and several of those die each year trying to reach the summit. Us lowlanders have to settle for two much lower finish lines: Paradise (5400 ft.) and Sunrise (6400 ft.). The plan today was to visit both.
As the crow flies, Mt. Rainier is a scant 55 miles from my place...
I followed a lost, drunken crow, so it was 82 miles there and 136 miles back.
Entering Mt. Rainier National Park from the southwest, the first point of interest is Narada Falls. The parking lot is at the top of the falls, so you can start by looking down...
There's a little trail that wanders down the hill to the classic viewpoint. Beware of mud that looks like poo, and old people who move slower than the nearby glaciers. It's also pretty steep, and the thin air does not help the ascent back up (or maybe I'm just out of shape).
The falls themselves...
The road up to Paradise is exactly that: a paradisical road. Mountain roads tend to be twisty rollercoasters, and this one is no different. However, I apparently missed the memo that today was "Drive 15 mph Below The Speed Limit Day" as people seemed to be driving (crawling) slower than usual, even for Washington. The 3 is mighty, but gets awfully wheezy at high elevations, so passing was risky business. I did it four times, anyway. The victims were a tourbus, an RV, and two minivans overloaded with children (one had TWO "baby on board" signs). Being stuck behind those...things...on a twisty road is like watching someone else have sex with your girlfriend. By the way, I think speeding in a national park is a federal offense. That would be an awesome way to end up on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list.
After finally reaching Paradise...there was nowhere to park. So, I had to continue on down the hill a little ways to park on the side of the road, but that was much more quiet, so I win. Paradise is famous for it's meadows, which are quite impressive during the spring bloom. This is mid-September, so you get none of that.
I present to you the highest point in Washington:
...and with extra zoom:
Les fleures!
Obligatory car shot:
I sat down on my bumper to eat my lunch, and as I did, swarms of what I thought were little beetles came calling. After a couple swats, I took a closer look, and noticed that the little bastards were actually little, black mosquitoes. Too late...the damage had been done. A half hour later, the swelling was so bad, I thought I had contracted Hanta virus. One of the little turds even found a crevice in my ear. After a while, my hypochondria went away, and so did the itching.
Further down the road...more stuff to look at.
After that, it was time to head to the other side of the mountain--to Sunrise. Unfortunately, I was overcome by boyish testosterone...a medium-length tunnel met my eyes. Down went the windows, to 2nd gear went the transmission, and a mighty 4-banging wail came from the Mazdaspeed pipe. In doing so, my park pass, which had been resting on the dashboard, was sucked out the window. I didn't think it would matter since I was already in the park, but to get to Sunrise, you have to go through another tool booth. Not a problem if you already have a pass, but a $15 problem if you don't. I didn't feel like emptying my wallet again, so I decided to go home. Will just have to wait for another day...
As the crow flies, Mt. Rainier is a scant 55 miles from my place...
I followed a lost, drunken crow, so it was 82 miles there and 136 miles back.
Entering Mt. Rainier National Park from the southwest, the first point of interest is Narada Falls. The parking lot is at the top of the falls, so you can start by looking down...
There's a little trail that wanders down the hill to the classic viewpoint. Beware of mud that looks like poo, and old people who move slower than the nearby glaciers. It's also pretty steep, and the thin air does not help the ascent back up (or maybe I'm just out of shape).
The falls themselves...
The road up to Paradise is exactly that: a paradisical road. Mountain roads tend to be twisty rollercoasters, and this one is no different. However, I apparently missed the memo that today was "Drive 15 mph Below The Speed Limit Day" as people seemed to be driving (crawling) slower than usual, even for Washington. The 3 is mighty, but gets awfully wheezy at high elevations, so passing was risky business. I did it four times, anyway. The victims were a tourbus, an RV, and two minivans overloaded with children (one had TWO "baby on board" signs). Being stuck behind those...things...on a twisty road is like watching someone else have sex with your girlfriend. By the way, I think speeding in a national park is a federal offense. That would be an awesome way to end up on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list.
After finally reaching Paradise...there was nowhere to park. So, I had to continue on down the hill a little ways to park on the side of the road, but that was much more quiet, so I win. Paradise is famous for it's meadows, which are quite impressive during the spring bloom. This is mid-September, so you get none of that.
I present to you the highest point in Washington:
...and with extra zoom:
Les fleures!
Obligatory car shot:
I sat down on my bumper to eat my lunch, and as I did, swarms of what I thought were little beetles came calling. After a couple swats, I took a closer look, and noticed that the little bastards were actually little, black mosquitoes. Too late...the damage had been done. A half hour later, the swelling was so bad, I thought I had contracted Hanta virus. One of the little turds even found a crevice in my ear. After a while, my hypochondria went away, and so did the itching.
Further down the road...more stuff to look at.
After that, it was time to head to the other side of the mountain--to Sunrise. Unfortunately, I was overcome by boyish testosterone...a medium-length tunnel met my eyes. Down went the windows, to 2nd gear went the transmission, and a mighty 4-banging wail came from the Mazdaspeed pipe. In doing so, my park pass, which had been resting on the dashboard, was sucked out the window. I didn't think it would matter since I was already in the park, but to get to Sunrise, you have to go through another tool booth. Not a problem if you already have a pass, but a $15 problem if you don't. I didn't feel like emptying my wallet again, so I decided to go home. Will just have to wait for another day...
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