We disembarked on Tuesday, July 23 around 8am and picked up our rental car in Seattle for part 3 of our Pacific Northwest vacation. It really felt like we had three separate vacations this year: Seattle, the Alaska cruise, and Mount Rainier.
We left Seattle in the morning and couldn't check in to our rental cabin until 4pm, so we headed for the quietest, least-visited part of Mount Rainier National Park: Carbon River. Located in the northwest section of the park, Carbon River is unique because it is an inland temperate rainforest. Visitor facilities are minimal and the main park road is closed to vehicles because of washouts. There were a few other hikers around, but we mostly had the trail to ourselves.
We opted to hike about 3 miles on the Old Mine Trail. It was mostly flat, following the old road, until we reached the mine trail, and then it was up, up, up for .3 miles.
Centipede
Spider egg sac
Around the turn of the 20th century, there were coal mines all over this part of Washington.
When we got to the mine entrance, we ate our picnic lunches. It was the perfect break at the perfect time.
Hiking back down.
It was really beautiful and it felt really good to move our bodies after the cruise.
Can you spot the chipmunk?
Devil's club
Wildflowers
Carbon River is a glacier-fed river.
After exploring the Carbon River portion of Mount Rainier, we headed to Ashford (with a stop for groceries) to our rental cabin. We opted to stay outside the park, which worked out perfectly since Ashford is so close to the Nisqually entrance to the park.
Dinner prep! Not everyone loves cooking after a busy day of hiking and travel, but we really enjoy not having to leave the house to go eat.
We had a huge backyard with a hammock, hot tub, and room for the boys to explore. There were so many robins in the backyard that I had to snap a few photos.
Next up, more of our adventures at Mount Rainier National Park!
You did a great job documenting our trip!
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