Wednesday: July 21, 1999

After a hearty breakfast served by a hot chili pepper of a waitress, we passed through the yuckky wastelands of Yakima, and entered what was for Nathan, the destination of greatest expectation, Mt. Rainier National Park. Entering the park from the Southeast, we took the windy trace through Box Canyon and Steven's Canyon to Paradise. Along the way were many pull-offs where we enjoyed breathtaking views of both Rainier and the imposing canyons (Steve displayed nerves of steel as he carefully negotiated yet another dicey road on this trip).

While Rainier itself is incomparable, the surrounding wilderness lacks the sheer massive in-your-face impact of the Canadian Rockies. As a note, Rainier is not a Rocky Mountain at all. It is a huge volcano among many in the Cascade range. Even so, I found this a homier area, a place in where I could live. Perhaps this scenery was simply within the limits of my ability to comprehend.

All of the trails around Paradise were burried under tons of snow. Add to that the lateness of the hour (thus an absense of tourists) and most of the group was reluctant to explore. Nathan wanted to hike across the steep snow field toward Panorama Point, even though he knew we would run out of time long before we ran out of trail. With no other willing outdoors folk, Nathan and I set out on theis trek alone. I'd guess we trudged throught the snow for 3/4 mile before heading back.

What an experience! A real highlight for me! No one in sight. No parking lots. No buildings. No trail markers! (From time to time we'd find one, but the discovery was usually mere chance). Cloud cover was moving in below us and the sun was sagging quite low in the sky. One would think that since we were walking in the snow, the way back would be easily found. In reality, there were dozens of "trails" made by previous feet. Also, any untrodden snow was so pot marked from the freeze/thaw cycle, that it too appeared to be covered with footprints. While we had absolutely no trouble finding our way back, I gained a deep appreciation for just how easily one could become disoriented among these wilderness snow fields. Nathan frolicked and slid back to the parking lot with no such dark thoughts (although at one point he did have some concern about the potential for a bear encounter - it turned out to be a quail). I, on the other hand, felt better when the top of the guest lodge emerged over the crest of a hill.

All in all - a fine day.

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