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Happy Veterans Day!!!

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Story of the Week

A Fall Hike in Mount Rainier

^{Pictured Above: Beautiful fall colors with a view from the Skyline Trail in Mt. Rainier.}

This week we take a trip to the past, but not too far…. Roughly seven weeks ago, Rachel’s sons, Blake and Alec, were in town for a visit. During that visit, they took a trip to Mount Rainier to hike the Skyline Loop Trail on the Paradise side of the mountain. The next week, Rachel’s friend, Angeline, suggested that a group of friends do the same hike. Revisit a beautiful hike, yes, please. It would be Angeline and Josh, Bill and Kenzie, and Rachel and Steve.

^{Pictured Above LT to RT: Josh and Angeline snap a selfie while Bill hides behind a rock in the background, Bill and Kenzie, and Steve and Rachel.}

It was only two weeks since Steve and Rachel’s last trip to that trail that they got to go back. What changes did they see? So many. Fall colors. Snow. Yes, snow. Did we mention snow? Oh, and if you read the issue that highlighted that first hike with Rachel’s boys, you would know that they got to see a bear on the hike. Well, this time… four bears, one of which was a baby. Amazing.

^{Pictured Above: An early morning shot of Mount Rainier from a distance. Steve and Rachel stopped at a viewpoint along the way to snap this picture as the sun was on the rise.}

The marmots on the trail were scarce. When they did come across them, they were entertaining. Pictured below on the left is a marmot that had drawn quite the crowd. He stood frozen and looked like a stuffed animal planted in the field. A couple of others came nice and close to hikers allowing for a few great close up shots. These little guys sure aren’t shy.

^{Pictured Above: The marmots on the trail that day were full of entertainment for hikers.}

Steve and Rachel were amazed by the amount of snow on the trail. It had only been two weeks since they had been on this trail. There were a few areas that were a bit nerve racking, as slush and even ice were covering the trail. Rachel was sure to use her hiking pole for stability, while lending one to the momma to be, Angeline, to be sure she didn’t have a fall. Side note, Angeline and Josh are expecting a baby boy. Yay for baby boys.

^{Pictured Above: The snow that had fallen in two weeks since their last visit to this trail was unreal. Far right, Bill rates this snowman with a thumbs down. Good effort to whomever attempted to create this snowman.}

Not only was there a lot of snow on the trail, but plenty of beautiful fall colors on the lower areas. The hike was a beautiful mix of fall and winter all at once. The picture below was taken at the end of the hike and is easily one of Rachel’s favorites.

^{Pictured Above: Another picture of the incredible fall colors along the trail that day. What a view.}

There was a mention of bears earlier, right? Oh, yes, there were bears. Four in total. It would be on the way down from the hike that they began to hear the murmurs from hikers heading up that a bear was down the trail and a safe viewing distance. Rachel couldn’t move fast enough to get down to the bear. For some reason she is now a bit too excited to see bears on the trail. Has she yet to carry the bear spray she purchased over a year ago. No, of course not.

It took a bit of hiking to get to the bear, who was difficult to see, as he was climbing. up the mountain at a distance. Luckily, Rachel had brought along the binoculars and they were able to get a look before moving on. And then… more murmurs of a bear with a cub. No way! Rachel has always wanted to see this but is also aware that bears are much more dangerous with a cub in tow.

With luck, the momma bear and her cub were down below a ridge at a very safe distance and visible without binoculars. From this vantage point, the first bear could be seen high up on the ridge, and a fourth bear could be seen coming down into the clearing. The best part, for Rachel, was getting to watch the momma and her cub. This brings Rachel’s total bear sightings to nine in just under seven years in Washington. She feels lucky to have had safe encounters but realizes she shouldn’t press her luck and should add that bear spray to her pack just in case.

Enjoy the video below of the momma and her cub.

Rachel feels lucky to have these friends to share adventures like this one. She’s thankful to Angeline for suggesting the group outing and can’t wait for next spring to get back on the mountain. She is also thankful to Steve for many, many good times together (see more on that below). Until next time, be well.

^{Pictured Above LT to RT: Bill in the front with his signature pose, Kenzie, Rachel, Steve, Angeline and Josh.}

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