A Weekend in Rainier
seriously, why don't I do this more often?
What is the perfect solution to a mid summer slump? A camping trip, naturally!
I say naturally only because that’s what the 1998 Parent Trap made me believe is a typical American family tradition as a child. We never did too much camping when I was a kid, so I was stoked when a Rainier camping trip rolled around at the end of July. I was about to live out the Lindsay Lohan weekend of my life… only we weren’t backpacking in, fishing for trout, and no potential evil step mothers were involved. But we’d be pitching a tent and cooking over a fire and that was enough for me.
Sometimes I forget that the very mountain in the backdrop of my childhood memories, morning commute, and day to day conversation is actually a very renowned peak. “The Mountain”, as we tend to refer to Rainier, comes up in conversation as often as the weather. In fact, it’s usually part of the weather. If the Mountain is “out” (aka, the peak is visible and not covered in clouds), supposedly it won’t rain! And I have yet to see that proven wrong. It seems like a lot of people who grew up around here either have been to Rainier a number of times, or not really at all. Personally, I’d only been once before for a day hike years ago, and it was rainy and foggy. This weekend would redeem that day by miles.
We met up with a couple friends at the White River Campground on the Sunrise side of the mountain. Spots were first come, and despite some closures due to “hazard trees”, the campground was in full swing and bustling with people from all over the world. Luckily our friends who arrived ahead of us scored a fairly large site with a little creek running behind it. We set up the tent, and walked across the way to river access, where we spent a bit of time exploring before making nachos over the fire. Before dark we drove to the visitor’s center and then hopped on the Silver Forest trail for an evening view of Emmons Glacier and wildflowers in full bloom the whole way. Back at camp we read our books by the fire before cozying up for the night. Over the course of the rest of the weekend, we tuckered out our legs hiking part of Glacier Basin, Emmons Moraine Trail, and Fremont Lookout (where we saw mountain goats, pikas, and what we think was a bear).
Before heading home on the final day, we took advantage of the absolutely perfect weather one last time and trekked Skyline Trail. That trail is a particularly humbling experience, as summiters are casually making the final leg back down to sea level, and you’re huffing and puffing up the first two miles, stripping layers off your body… at least for me. At the peak we enjoyed our books and a bottle of wine before getting booted out by a gang of simply ravenous chipmunks.
It’s amazing how good unplugging can feel. Of course, I’m a documentarian by nature and really can’t help overloading my camera roll, and I like that about myself. Not having access to wifi, however, was the true relief I didn’t know I was needing. There’s nothing that beats extended quality time with your best friends especially out in nature. It’s the ultimate remedy to the stresses and anxieties of life. And in between the campfires and s’mores, I completely fell in love with Mt. Rainier— her glaciers, heights, meadows, fragrance, animals, wildflowers. If you ever have the chance to go, I couldn’t recommend it enough. It’s printed on film and in my memory as a perfect weekend.