I’ve been itching to do longer, more challenging hikes after my foot surgery in March, and today was the day. I decided on Comet Falls and VanTrump Park, at Mount Rainier National Park. As always, I got an early start, leaving home at 5:30am to avoid crowds. I forgot how rocky, uneven, and gnarly the majority of this trail is, and while my foot is not at all pleased with me now, the rest of me sure feels good about today’s hike!!
With our heavy winter snowpack this past winter and the heat we’ve had this week, Comet Falls was raging and so beautiful, including rainbows in the mist. It is the tallest waterfall in Mount Rainier National Park, and on a hot day like today, the mist it was throwing off was the perfect way to cool down. There are several other smaller waterfalls along the way that are also worth stopping to visit.
I decided to continue on the trail up to VanTrump Park, about 1 mile past Comet Falls. The entire trail is rough and rocky, with hundreds of big steps, so I definitely got good exercise today.
There were so many different types of wildflowers blooming, it’s a much later wildflower season than normal because of our past winter. I had to stop and enjoy the beauty of all of them. They bring so much joy, if only one stops to appreciate them.
