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Skyscraper Pass/Berkeley Park, MRNP

March 15, 2013 / doublemom94

I leave a little bit of my heart at Skyscraper Pass every time I go out there. It’s one of my favorite places at Rainier… so much so that I’ve been known to hike out with a good book and a JetBoil to brew myself a pot of tea, and park myself at the top for 8 hours enjoying the view and talking to people as they pass by. Having to go through Berkeley Park to get there is the icing on the cake. (for photos of Berkeley Park in full wildflower bloom, stay tuned for my Wonderland Photos).

Just once in your lifetime (or several times, in my case) it’s worth it to get up well before dawn and drive out to Sunrise before the sun comes up, just to sit there and watch Rainier light up like a Christmas tree with alpenglow. It’s magical… the photos don’t come close to describing what it’s really like to watch the color change.

White Pass Nordic Area – Snowshoe

March 15, 2013 / doublemom94

The Nordic Ski area at White Pass (Hwy 12) has dedicated snowshoe trails as well as x-country skiing. It’s beautiful starting at the Yurt at Leech Lake, snowshoeing around the lake and through the forest or along the groomed trails. You can also connect with the PCT here and snowshoe for miles and miles…. It’s a great winter escape for those of us whose knees will not ever ski 🙂

Skyline Trail in Winter, MRNP

March 14, 2013 / doublemom94

The Skyline Trail in winter is just as gorgeous as in summertime, but in a different way. There is great show-shoeing out of Paradise, hopefully on a crystal-clear winter day that allows you to see all the way to Mt. Hood in Oregon. It’s days like these that get me through our gray, wet, PNW winters….

p.s. It IS possible to work on a tan in winter in Washington, I’ve gotten sunburned in January

Skyline Trail, Paradise, MRNP

March 14, 2013 / doublemom94

The Skyline Trail out of Paradise at MRNP is the classic dayhike at Mt. Rainier. Granted, it’s packed with tourists all summer, but it’s so gorgeous it’s worth the crowds, especially in the height of wildflower blooming season (these photos were taken in mid-August). Even then, on some years you can expect to cross some snow at the top near Panorama Point. Great views of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens along the trail too. Did I mention the over-abundance of wildflowers? Sensory overload, in a good way…

Sheep Lake / Chinook Pass

March 13, 2013 / doublemom94

Sheep Lake is another one of those “gotta do this once a year” hikes… it’s an easy 2 mile hike in from Chinook Pass. Expect wildflower overload in August-ish (along with mosquitoes), not to mention a gorgeous mountain lake perfect for a picnic lunch. It’s a perfect easy dayhike, but there are also some nice camping spots around and near the lake.

Reflection Lake/Narada Falls, MRNP

March 13, 2013 / doublemom94

Above Longmire at Mt. Rainier, there is a nice little hike from Narada Falls up to Reflection Lake and back down on the Lakes Trail. August is usually prime wildflower season. If it’s waterfalls you’re looking for, this is a great trail!

Naches Loop, MRNP

March 13, 2013 / doublemom94

The Naches Loop off of Hwy 410 at Chinook Pass has to be my absolutely favorite fall hike for colors. It’s an easy 3-mile loop around Naches Peak, great for beginners, or for rehabbing knees after surgery. In October it lights up like a Christmas tree with fall colors. This is one of my yearly pilgrimages… Too bad the road is closed for winter, or I’d be up there snowshoeing too.

beautiful new bridge at the top of Chinook Pass

Ape Cave, Mt. St. Helens

March 12, 2013 / doublemom94

I went through Ape Cave on the south side of Mt. St. Helens when I was a teenager and loved it… then I got to take my kids and DH through it too 🙂 It’s a 2-mile long lava tunnel, pitch dark, full of huge boulders to be scrambled over, and definitely not for the claustrophobic! I need to do this again… when I took K&T through it was recently after a knee surgery and I didn’t have all of my leg strength back, which does come in handy when scrambling over boulders the size of cars.

Timberline, Mt. Hood

March 12, 2013 / doublemom94

Babysitting my four-legged niece and nephew in Oregon has perks, namely hiking through some gorgeous scenery. I dropped Tori off at Timberline Lodge with $20 and her current book at the time, I think Homer’s Odyssey, and I headed out the Timberline Trail (part of the PCT) for a nice day hike.

It was pretty dusty compared to what I’m used to around here, but still a gorgeous trail. I have to say, after spending so much time around Rainier, Mt. Hood looks pretty tiny, though I know it’s not. Some day I’d love to hike the entire Timberline Trail… maybe next year.

Mazama Ridge, Paradise, MRNP

March 12, 2013 / doublemom94

Frani and I set out from Paradise to Mazama Ridge on a day that was supposed to be decent weather, but since our Mountain can make her own weather, she can do whatever she pleases whenever she wants. We still had a great time, and got to see an absolutely spectacular mountain shadow sunrise that morning on the drive there. We turned around early because of weather, so this is one area that I definitely want to explore more when I get the chance.