Uncle Jojo, Aunt Kendra, and a Volcano: Mt. Rainier National Park (by Jim)

Mount Rainier on a perfect, sunny day

There are a few things that Walden has been obsessed about over the course of our journey. One is volcanoes. I don't think he has actually seen a volcano before... in real life or on a video. Yet, he replicates the sound of a volcano erupting while we're hiking. "Daddy, do you hear that?" A soft rumble, rumble sound. "It's getting louder!" A louder rumble with just the right amount of phlegm in the back of his throat. As the volcano erupts, the sound grows into a thundering spit explosion on the back of my neck. Then, the whole things starts over again. "Daddy, do you hear that?" The volcano erupting game has been known to last for over an hour. And yes, other hikers do give us some funny stares as they pass by.

Another thing that Walden has obsessed over since nearly the beginning of the trip is visiting Uncle Jojo and Aunt Kendra in Seattle. Especially seeing Aurthur, their cat. Joey and Kendra got married last September and moved to Seattle in January to start their own life adventure. They decided to move at about the same time that we decided to take our trip, so the Seattle area, of course, became a "must stop" destination on our journey. Joey and Kendra are the uncle and aunt that every three-year-old would want... they play all sorts of games with you (even those that Mommy and Daddy are sick of), they spoil you with presents and treats (including S'mores), and they have a cat! Nearly every day over the past month, Walden asked if TODAY was the day we would be visiting Uncle Jojo and Aunt Kendra.

Finally, Walden got his wishes. Mount Rainier was the perfect place to experience his two obsessions together: a massive mountain volcano (albeit a quiet one), and seeing Joey and Kendra in-person.

Panorama of Mt. Rainier from Ricksecker Point

Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the Cascade Range and in the state of Washington at 14,411 feet. It is especially impressive because there are no other high peaks to obscure it. It stands alone, towering over the landscape with its snowy peak... it has 26 glaciers that slowly carve ravines through the volcanic rock. Despite all the snow and ice, it is an active volcano. Mount Rainier National Park encompasses the entire mountain, from the craters on its icy peak to lush old growth forests at its base fed by massive rainfall. The mountain is so large, it creates its own weather systems, blocking moisture-laden clouds from the Pacific and forcing them up its slope. The clouds cool and drop their rain... over 100 inches a year on the west side.

Walden "fishing" at our campsite

We arrived at Mount Rainier on June 18 after driving north from the Portland, Oregon area. The day was cloudy, so we didn't get a view of the mountain itself. But the drive to the park meandered through hills and mountains clothed in green forests. We decided to camp in Ohanapecosh in the southeast corner of the park, which is known for its old-growth forests of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock. The campground itself was beautiful, situated on the rushing Ohanapecosh River that almost glowed in a transparent blue-green color. Unfortunately, the campsites themselves left something to be desired. They were small and jammed next to each other with little privacy. The sites next to the river were already taken, and most of the loops were still closed down for the season, despite the heavy use. We found a site that we were able to carefully maneuver the Burro into.

Moss covered forest in Ohanapecosh

To Walden's disappointment, Joey and Kendra wouldn't arrive until the evening of the next day. So, we had to start our exploration of the park on our own. On June 19, we hiked the Silver Falls Trail from our campground (2.7 miles), which meandered through an incredible emerald forest along the Ohanapecosh River. Every square inch of the forest floor, including old stumps, branches, and rocks, was carpeted by lush green moss and ferns. The trail led to Silver Falls, water rushing through black, volcanic walls and diving into a turquoise pool. As we returned to the campground, the trail led through an area of hot springs where a resort had once stood.

Playing chase around old-growth cedar

That afternoon, we hiked the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail (1.1 miles), a stand of massive old-growth Western red cedars and Douglas firs protected on an island in the Ohanapecosh River. While we had visited sequoias and redwoods, this had a totally different feeling that I was drawn to. Perhaps it was the diversity of massive trees and the river surrounding the grove. Or, perhaps it was the fact that we use Western red cedar to construct signs at Schmeeckle Reserve, and it was fascinating to see the gargantuan source of our lumber standing in its natural habitat. Walden had a fun time running in circles around the trees on the boardwalk, crossing a shaky suspension bridge over the river, and throwing rocks into the water.

Eating supper at the campsite

To our delight, Uncle Jojo and Aunt Kendra finally came to visit that evening and join us for the weekend. Despite his eagerness, Walden was shy at first, as he usually is around other people, but warmed up quickly and soon was helping to set up their tent and coaxing them into blowing bubbles. He was disappointed that Arthur, their cat, didn't come along camping, but we ensured him that we would see Arthur soon. We had a scrumptious meal of tacos that evening followed by a blazing campfire. But the best part, according to Walden? Jojo and Kendra brought ingredients for making S'mores! Walden had read about S'mores in some of his books, but had never actually made one before. The joy of seeing a boy eat S'mores for the first time is impossible to describe in words.

Walden eating his first S'more with Jojo

Wildflowers and Mt. Rainier at Paradise

The next day, June 20, we all headed up to the Paradise area which is on the southern flanks of the mountain. The morning started out with clear skies and a beautiful sun. As we drove on the curving road, we caught our first glimpse of Mount Rainier, snowy and rugged rising up into the blue heavens. We stopped at several viewing areas along the road to take photos and just stare in awe. The road to Paradise climbs to 5,400 feet in elevation, providing incredible "up close" views of Mount Rainier rising above subalpine meadows carpeted with every color of the rainbow. The wildflowers were absolutely stunning... from the purple lupine, to white avalanche lilies, from yellow sunflowers to red Indian paintbrush. We hiked the Skyline Trail loop, a 5.5-mile trail that climbs 1,700 feet through the meadows and rocks. Clouds eventually formed around Mount Rainier, obscuring it from view, but the rest of the sky was clear providing an impressive panorama of the Cascade Range, including other volcanic peaks like Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. We had to cross a few slippery snow fields on the trail, which was a bit tricky at times, and since Walden was on my back, I was glad that Kendra lent me one of her hiking sticks. The number of people at Paradise was overwhelming (all the parking lots and roads were completely full), but getting out on the trails at least removed us from some of the crowds.

All of us in front of Mt. Rainier on the Skyline Trail

Narada Falls

On June 21, we celebrated Father's Day by taking a day trip to the Longmire area of the park in the southwest corner. This historic district contains the largest number of buildings designed in a park "rustic style," which would be replicated in numerous parks throughout the country. On the way, we stopped at Narada Falls, a 168-foot high cascading waterfall with a stunning rainbow at the bottom, and Christine Falls, a 69-foot waterfall framed by a stone bridge along the road. At Longmire, we visited the old Park Museum (built in 1916... the exhibits still match) and the old Park Headquarters (built in 1928... now a Wilderness Information Center). We hiked the short Trail of Shadows loop (0.7 mile), which interprets an old hot springs resort with lots of fun opportunities for a 3-year-old: a bubbling spring to touch, an old cabin to explore, small creeks and waterfalls to splash in, and boardwalks to run on.

Crossing the Nisqually River

That afternoon, after Joey and Kendra returned to Seattle (they work for a living, after all!), we hiked the Carter Falls/Madcap Falls trail (2.2 miles). The first part of the trail crossed the Nisqually River over a log bridge, the gray, silt-laden water rushing beneath us from a melting glacier and Mount Rainier rising above the boulder-strewn riverbed. The trail then climbed through a forest along the Paradise River to two rushing waterfalls. We climbed to the top of the second waterfall and rested on a rock in the middle of the river. Sitting next to Walden, listening to the rushing water tumble over the cliff, surrounded by trees, flowers, and rocks, daring each other to dip our toes into the frigid water (and squealing every time we did), it made me very proud and happy to be a Dad. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to spend this precious time with my family.

Enjoying Father's Day with my boy

View of Mt. Rainier from Sunrise

On June 22, our last day at Mount Rainier, we packed up the Burro and drove north to the Sunrise area, which is on the eastern flanks of the mountain. It is also the highest area accessible with a car at 6,400 feet in elevation. We found a place to park the Burro before making the steep climb up in the car. The Sunrise area feels much more open and exposed than Paradise. The wildflowers are still impressive, but they seem to be more sparse and smaller on the wide open slopes. The sight of Mount Rainier towering above the visitor center and inn is spectacular... it really shows the massive size. The sky was quite cloudy, but every once in a while, the top of Mount Rainier would peak out. We hiked part of the Sourdough Ridge Trail to Frozen Lake (disappointingly, not frozen or very scenic) and looped around to Shadow Lake, a turquoise gem surrounded by spruce trees. The walk back to Sunrise from the lake was filled with meadows carpeted by beautiful wildflowers... in one meadow, the lupine was so thick it looked like a fairyland purple lake in the distance.

That afternoon, as Mount Rainier slipped behind thicker clouds, we walked the Silver Forest Trail (1.6 miles) to the Emmons Vista overlook with beautiful views of the glacial valley and through a forest that had been burned many years ago, leaving behind vast meadows of wildflowers and incredible vistas over the valley. It was a perfect way to end our visit to Mount Rainier.

I was very impressed with Mount Rainier National Park and it has quickly become one of my favorite parks so far on the trip. I was awed by all of the diversity and beauty, but I think what really stood out in my mind is the idea that the park was developed around a single focal-point resource. The diversity—waterfalls, old-growth forest, wildflowers, meadows, turquoise streams, glaciers, wildlife, moss—is all connected to the massive volcanic mountain. That's the story of the park. And it makes it a memorable and meaningful experience.