Mount Rainer

As we watched the evening news Sunday the local weatherman was quite excited about a couple of crystal clear fall days he expected mid week. He went on to say that Mount Rainier was expected to be particularly clear. We looked at each other and realized we had not seen the mountain and had recently commented we should go since it is only a few hours away. Being retired we quickly decided there were no reasons for not going. The next morning we checked the internet to be sure the park was open and campsites were available, and we set to packing the van. Our drive north was uneventful and before we entered Rainier National Park we found this unique little church with a history connected to the early settlers to the area who were lumbermen. We arrived in the national park about noon. We went straight to Paradise Point and enjoyed time walking trails and exploring the information center before heading down the mountain part way to Cougar Rocks where the campground was located. The few people that were camped there must have been entertained as we drove around the large campground looking for the perfect site; most sites were empty and we just couldn't make up our minds. After a while we realized we were only spending one night so made a quick decision on a site and prepared dinner as we saw the evening alpine glow on the spectacular mountain. Our plan was to spend some time at the lodge during the evening but learned it is a very tiny lodge near the campsite and few facilities were available as they were closing the coming weekend for the season. Luckily we had brought campfire materials so spent a pleasant evening talking around the campfire. The next morning we had breakfast and headed for Sunrise Point which views the mountain from the north. We discovered Box Canyon which is a very narrow gorge, maybe 10 feet wide and 180 feet deep with a turbulent creek working to gouge out the narrow passage. As we went down one canyon and up another we were reminded of the Going to the Sun highway in Glacier National Park. The parking lot was nearly empty but the views were spectacular. Crews were working to close up the facilities for the winter but it was so warm that winter seemed a long way off. We enjoyed a picnic and then started heading back home. We were not sure how long it would take but figured could drive into the night if needed. We drove out of the park and headed for Randall where we found a local restaurant for dinner while it was still quite light. It was pretty dark by the time we reached the freeway but were surprised to be home about 8 PM. Now we know that Mount Rainier is only about 3 hours away and well worth the time going to see.