Asars - Day Hiking: Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier has always been a very important place to me. As a third-generation Washingtonian, not only have I grown up visiting the park, but some of the significant spikes on the timeline of my life are marked by visits. On my way home from visiting the park in June 1999, my phone rang with the exciting news of my nephews birth. In September 2003, while sitting on a rotting log in the open landscapes northwest of Mystic Lake, my future husband asked me to marry him. In 2010, while looping the Wonderland yet again, the idea of writing a guidebook sprang into my head and two years later, I was holding my book, Hiking the Wonderland Trail, in my hands. Later came a smartphone app for the Wonderland that I produced. Today, its my privilege to share this book on day hiking in the park with you and give you information on the pathways that have meant so much to me. For all of those reasons and more, the first acknowledgment in this book is to Mount Rainier National Park itself, which has always been there for me whenever I needed itit is an inspiration and my soul shampoo.

Special thanks to my husband, Vilnis, who supports me endlessly as I immerse myself in the hinterlands summer after summer and then sequester myself in the subsequent winters to pen what Ive seen. Your love and support mean the world to me.

To my fur baby, Scout, thank you for understanding that dogs arent allowed in national parks and allowing me to traipse off to go hiking, much to your disappointed protests. You joined me on hikes outside the park, and I loved having you bouncing along beside me.

To my friends and family, thank you for helping me get through some of the bumps of this career Ive chosen, even when you may not know it. Thank you for being such great cheerleaders!

Thanks to Carl Fabiani, retired park trails foreman, who knows the park like the back of his hand. Your thoughtful answers to my questions helped give life to the historical details in this guide.

Special thanks to recently retired superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park, Randy King, for your prompt responses to my correspondence. I stood in awe of your leadership, your friendship, and your ever-present smile. You were the shining example of superior park management, and we were all very grateful for your service. May you continue to enjoy natures bounty in retirement. Along those same lines, thank you, Daniel Keebler, Lindsey Kurnath, and all the other park personnel who passionately care for the park, ensuring it lasts for generations to come.

Lastly, thanks to you, my readers. If you picked up this book, its likely because you are looking for a place to escape the constant mind-noise of daily life and rest safely in the restorative arms of the backcountry. You are why I write. May all our hearts find ease and our heads find clarity when we visit the places described in these pages. Happy trails!