Washington-Alaska 2019: Mount Rainier, Day 3

On our Wednesday hikes at Mount Rainier, we covered about 5 miles and gained a total of 1300 feet in elevation.  Will took a look at what I had planned for Thursday and quickly changed those plans.  He thought we could manage the 5+ mile Rampart Ridge hike in the Longmire area with a 1339' elevation gain.  When I read that we'd have amazing views of Mount Rainier, I was all in, so we were off for our longest, hardest hike yet.  

We started off on the Trail of the Shadows, which took us around Longmire Meadow.  

We found the trailhead for the Rampart Ridge Trail and started up the switchbacks.  It was tough but really beautiful.  

Red Indian Pipe plant

We made it to the peak! If you look between the boys, you can glimpse the parking lot where we started our hike.  

Snacks at the top

We walked a little farther along the ridge and had the most amazing view of Mount Rainier!

We hiked along the ridge for about a mile before heading back down. The trail took us through old growth forests, which were spectacular. 

Steller's jay

We were all exhausted after our 3 hour hike, but it was so worth it for the views and just knowing that we could hike so far and up so high.  After lunch at the National Park Inn, we headed back to the cabin (Indian Henry's) to rest, finish laundry and pack up for our return to Houston.

Our summer vacation this year really felt like three separate trips, but each was unique and special and we are so lucky to have spent an incredible two weeks exploring Washington and Alaska with family and friends.  

Washington-Alaska 2019: Mount Rainier, Day 2

We started off day 2 at Mount Rainier in lightweight clothing only to watch the temperatures drop as we entered the park and climbed the mountain.

Our very first stop was at Christine Falls,

which is just a short hike away from the main park road.  

By the time we arrived at Paradise, the temperature had dropped to 45 degrees.  Two of us were in shorts and we only had lightweight jackets.  Our first stop at Paradise was at the gift shop to purchase a warm hat for Will.  And then we were off on our hike. 

Our first hike took us on a nicely paved path up to Myrtle Falls.  The wildflowers were in bloom and were gorgeous. 

Myrtle Falls

The falls were beautiful but Will was not impressed with our easy hike up the paved path and asked to look at the trail map.  He chose the Alta Vista Trail, which is a moderate 1.75 mile trail with a 600' elevation gain.  And we were off, always trying to get a peek of Mount Rainier through the clouds.  

We hiked straight up, which was perfect because we warmed up too.  Henry was thrilled when we came upon our first patch of snow.  

We had this trail completely to ourselves, 

only sharing it with a marmot!

More wildflowers

At the peak -- 5940'

Hiking back down

Avalanche lilies

Sooty grouse

After a couple of hours of hiking, we headed back down to the visitors center for lunch. We even found Mountain Bars, which are chocolate and peanuts molded around a filling. We had these treats often when I was a kid.  

After lunch, we gave Will the map again and he picked the Bench and Snow Lakes Trail, which was a 2.5 mile trail with a 700' elevation gain.  

Setting off! It was much warmer and we started shedding our jackets right away.

The first lake we came to was Bench Lake.  

And then we made it to beautiful Snow Lake. 

Look at the color of the water!

The boys had to go down and touch the water, of course. I did the same thing when I was a kid. 

Perfect snack (Mountain Bars) midway through a hard hike!

Heading back

Glimpses of Mount Rainier through the clouds

After over five miles of hiking and 150 flights of stairs (according to my Fitbit -- a record for us), we called it a day and headed back home to nap, read and relax. We ended the evening with smothered pork chops, salad, and mashed sweet potatoes. 

And to cap it all off, the boys soaked their weary bones in the hot tub.  

We were all exhausted after our long day but so glad to have done so much at Mount Rainier. What a gorgeous national park!