National Park #4, canceled August 6, 2018
Much of Jeremy’s family lives in Washington State, so a visit to them was the perfect launching spot for our 2018 summer road trip along the Cascade range, stopping at three national parks on our southward journey home (Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, and Lassen Volcanic). We were delighted that they wanted to share in the adventure with us!
Our first stop was Mount Rainier, which no one in our family had been to yet. We all met up at Sunrise, where the kids quickly knocked out their Junior Ranger badges. The Sunrise Nature Trail was a bit steeper than we anticipated, but we were rewarded with dramatic views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding peaks.
On the way down to our campground at Ohanapecosh, we took a short detour to Tipsoo Lake. The wildflowers there were spectacular! After finding our campsite, we took a hike along the nearby Grove of the Patriarchs Trail. We enjoyed a nice walk through a dense old growth forest surrounded by firs and cedars. There was even an awesome suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River. Then we parted ways with the non-campers before setting up camp and cooking dinner over the campfire. It was a bit of a struggle getting the campfire going, and I always forget just how long it takes to soften potatoes. But we managed, and even enjoyed s’mores before bed.
The next day, the hotel crew met at our campsite after breakfast, and we all took off for Paradise. Along the way, we stopped at Reflection Lakes. We’d been warned that Mount Rainier is often shrouded in mist and not visible in the distance, much less as a reflection. But we were blessed with gorgeously clear blue skies and an absolutely stunning reflection.
We may have spent a little too long there, because by the time we got to Paradise, parking was a challenge to find. Once we did (a good ways down the hill beyond the lot), we explored the visitor center, and the hikers took off for Myrtle Falls. Watching the snow melting into waterfalls down the meadow-covered hills was stunning. And the view of Rainier above Myrtle Falls literally took my breath away. We even saw a couple of marmots near the falls. Back at the visitor center, some of us turned in our last completed quest to earn a Citizen Ranger patch. It was like a Junior Ranger program for adults. We had a lot of fun learning more about the park as we explored it!
Our final Rainier destination was the historic Longmire area. We strolled through their small museum, and took a break on the patio of the lodge. While some continued putting their feet up, others took a stroll along the Trail of the Shadows. It was a neat walk through a forest, going past the remains of an old cabin and hotel featuring natural hot springs.
We dined that evening at Mt. Adams Café in Randle where the hotel crew had breakfast. The eruption burger was fabulous, if a challenge to eat. We were glad not to have to mess with a campfire again! [Unfortunately, as of this writing, it appears the café has permanently closed.]
On our way out the next morning, we paid a brief visit to Box Canyon and Narada Falls. They were beautiful and deserved more time than we gave them, but we had a long drive to Crater Lake, especially since we were also planning a detour to Multnomah Falls on the way (which was totally worth it!).
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