| The sun rose at 5:19 am this morning and we awoke refreshed with daylight streaming in through the open windows following a good night of sleep in the crisp, cool mountain air. The lack of TV, cell phones, and Internet in the park greatly fueled the relaxation process. After a quick breakfast, we headed up the mountain on foot. It was steep and a little slippery, but a well traveled path in the snow and some stakes showed the way. The kids were excited about the snow and the snow balls flew all day; and everyone also enjoyed sliding down the long snowy slopes on their backs. The view got better the higher we climbed and we were able to see Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens. Our lodge at Paradise Inn is situated at about 5,400 ft. elevation and we hiked about a mile each way from the base up towards the summit. We are not sure what elevation we reached but we were a great deal above our starting point before turning back and we had a fantastic view for many clear, beautiful miles. We learned that about 9,000 people attempt to hike to the Mt. Rainier summit each year, but only about 50% actually make it to the top. When we returned to the Visitor Center we were energized and invigorated by our snow activities in June! The Visitor Center was playing a movie in the theater called Mt. Rainier: The Restless Giant. It was fascinating to learn more about the grandeur of the volcanic mountain where we had just hiked and played.
Upon leaving Paradise, we headed to Reflection Lake for some more photo opportunities and then decided it was time to head out of the park and back to Seattle to catch our flight to Anchorage. We stopped at the Longmire Visitors Center on the way out and the kids turned in their Junior Ranger programs to receive their badges. We drove to Seattle, where we arrived in plenty of time to return the Hummer and await our evening flight to Anchorage. Here we come, Alaska!
Note: To read about the 1st half day at Mt. Rainier June 29, click here.
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