Nelson Dan A. - Day hiking Mount Rainier: national park trails

Vivid colors of fall along the upper Shriner Peak trail with views of Mount Rainier

Deep purple of the aging western trillium in late spring

It really is a mirrorfamous Mirror Lake reflecting the beauty of Mount Rainier and surrounding alpine fir trees.

The vanilla-leaf-lined Eastside Trail passing through stands of Pacific silver firs

Bold autumn colors carpeting the meadows around Van Trump Park

Sunset on Mount Rainier from Alta Vista

Aerial view of a space shipotherwise known as a lenticular cloud over Mount Rainier. It'll be raining within 24 hours!

A solid carpet of avalanche lilies, a showcase wildflower of Mount Rainier National Park

Fog lifts to allow enjoyment of the reflection at Reflection Lakes.

DAY HIKING

National Park Trails

Dan A. Nelson
photography by
Alan L. Bauer

1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134

2008 by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer

All rights reserved
First edition, 2008

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Manufactured in Canada

Copy Editor: Kris Fulsaas
Cover and Book Design: The Mountaineers Books
Layout: Peggy Egerdahl
Cartographer: Moore Creative Designs

Cover photograph: Dennis and Michael hike down the Crystal Peak trail with stunning views of Mount Rainier and the White River Valley before them.

Frontispiece: A doe gently walks through crimson-colored huckleberries near Alta Vista.

Maps shown in this book were produced using National Geographic's TOPO! software. For more information, go to www.nationalgeographic.com/topo.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nelson, Dan A.
Day hiking Mount Rainier: national park trails / Dan A. Nelson;
photography by Alan L. Bauer.1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-59485-060-8 (ppb)
1. HikingWashington (State)Mount Rainier National ParkGuidebooks. 2. TrailsWashington (State)Mount Rainier National ParkGuidebooks. 3. Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.)Guidebooks. I. Bauer, Alan. II. Title.
GV199.42.W22M685 2008
796.5109797'782dc22
2007041731

Printed on recycled paper

In memory of

Greg Ball and Ira Spring,

trail champions

whom we proudly called

colleagues, trail companions, and friends

A Quick Guide to the Hikes

Dennis crosses the Ohanapecosh River suspension bridge to access the Grove of the Patriarchsthe same bridge that was severely damaged in the November 2006 floods.

Introduction

Mount Rainier stands as the most recognizable feature in Washington's diverse landscape. At 14,411 feet, this mighty mountain towers nearly 8000 feet over its neighboring peaks, which makes it visible from nearly every corner of the state. The mountain has been a standard feature of Washington's history well before it was discovered by Captain George Vancouver. Native tribes on both sides of the Cascades, as well as those living far south in present-day Oregon, included the mountain in their stories and legends.

But though the mountain's presence has been a constant throughout human history in the region, that presence has also been an ever-changing one. Mighty Mount Rainier is, after all, an active volcano and, more importantly (on a human scale, at least), it's an imposing geologic feature whose sheer size and prominence not only attracts strong weather systems but also helps create wild weather. This is important for recreationists to keep in mind. Despite what your schoolteachers may have taught, geologic change isn't so much a matter of slow, steady change. Rather, it's like a war: long, boring periods of calm are broken by random moments of extreme activity, sheer chaos, and ruin.

The latest of these chaotic moments occurred during November 2006. Record rainfall and gale-force winds wreaked havoc on the environs of Mount Rainier National Park, changing the courses of rivers, toppling acres of trees, moving mountains of mud, and destroying a great deal of the man-made structures within the national park. Roads were washed out, bridges and footlogs swept away, trails blocked by windfalls, and even destroyed one entire campgroundSunrise Camp, which was swept away by the raging Nisqually River. Even as this book is being completed, we still don't know when all the extensive damage done by those early winter storms will be repaired. We do know most trails are open, though sections may be very rough for the next few years.