On sunny days, Mount Rainier majestically dominates the skyline as I commute to work each day. The mountain feels like a dear friend after I hiked the Wonderland Trail in 2016. I briefly visited the northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park this past spring when I hiked the Carbon River Trail, but it was too cloudy to see the mountain that day. Next time, I vowed, would be different. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to return ever since.
Sunkist, Mount Rainier, and me
Opportunity knocked in the form of Sunkist, who is in town to attempt her own hike of the 93-mile Wonderland Trail. So I decided to do something crazy. I hopped in my car and drove all the way to Mount Rainier after work on Wednesday to meet up with her. Apparently, I failed to factor in rush-hour traffic and so the drive ended up taking me 3 1/2 hours. Ugh!
Peekaboo views of Mount Rainier on the drive down
This way to Mount Rainier!
Welcome to Mount Rainier National Park!
We met for dinner at the National Park Inn and spent the evening catching up and chatting about Sunkist’s upcoming hike. Afterwards, we spent hours reminiscing about our adventures on the PCT together.
Sunkist strikes a pose in front of the National Park Inn
Sunkist is ready to hit the trail 🙂
We stayed in a rustic cabin near the park’s entrance and then I was on the road bright and early again yesterday morning to head to work. This time I battled the morning commute and drove for 3 hours straight to the office. Ugh. And I thought my commute was bad.
The cabin
I’m too excited to sleep!
It was a super quick trip, and even though I spent more time driving than visiting it was totally worth it. I’m looking forward to coming back soon when I have more time.
Sunkist is also an avid blogger – if you’d like to follow along on her adventures, check out her blog here:
https://mizipatty.wordpress.com
Goodbye friend 🙂
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