My first backpack trip of the year was a very simple one, from the Sunrise Visitor Center at Mt. Rainier National Park to Sunrise Campground, less than 1.5 miles away. As usual, mosquitoes and wildflowers go hand in hand, at Rainier and many places in Washington State you don’t have flowers without mosquitoes. It’s the price we pay for nature’s beauty.
I had a lovely dinner and reading time at Shadow Lake close to my campsite. I kept an eye out for bears, as there’s one who hangs out here almost every year. No bears, but I did see fresh scat, so I know he was nearby.
I did the short hike up to Glacier Overlook for sunset. This is a great place for newbies to Mt. Rainier to take in the sights without a huge amount of effort. I was the only one there, except for a single marmot who was soaking up the warmth of the rock wall before bedding down for night. We spent about 20 minutes together in companionable silence. I didn’t attempt to get too close, we both kept each other company while also giving each other space.
The next morning I woke at 5am to go back to Glacier Overlook to watch the magic of sunrise happen. The eastern side of Rainier is where the sun hits first, and it’s well worth the early wake-up alarm to watch the Mountain light up like a Christmas tree. It’s so nice to see the light change from the same spot over the course of 24 hours.
