Our Perfect Rainier Paradise

One of the things I have enjoyed about staying at North Fork Campground is how central the location is to many day trips.






We have been within driving distance to all three of the major volcanic mountains in south central Washington.

What a great place to come home to after a day of exploring. 

 It is lush and green, indeed a forest wonderland.

I am reminded not to sit too long.... moss grows fast and one never knows where the bodies are buried.  It seems that the longer we stay the more things we find to explore. 

 

Today's journey takes us back to Mt Rainier - This time to Paradise.

It is easy to forget that Rainier is an active Geological Force.  Even though there has not been an eruption in our lifetime, geological change continues to shape the landscape it dramatic ways.  Slides are active both with water and as a force as a avalanche of just rock, debris and vegetation.

 Later, water may continue to carve the landscape during Spring and summer thaws.

 One of the most photographed viewpoints of Mt Rainier,  at Reflection Lake.

I have been amazed of the photo opportunities that I have had for the mountain photo's.  While driving I would look at the skies wondering if the clouds would part and the mountains be visible and as we approached the clouds would disappear and the mountains appear for perfect photo's. 

We have been blessed with some great photo's to help us remember this trip.

Bear Grass

Snow, Snow, Everywhere.....

Glacier are alive and well in the Cascades.

There are several trails to explore directly from the meadows near the lodge and visitor center though many were not fully able to be explored due to the amount of snow still covering the meadows. 

 

 I loved seeing the flowers emerging as soon as the scow recedes.  Another couple of weeks and the meadows will be at their showy best.

  

Indian Paintbrush

Glacier Lilly

I would love to see the full bloom of flowers some day on Rainier at Paradise. 

Click on the arrow for Hailey's barefoot run through Paradise

 

Hailey's new Yeti Hat (aka Abominable Snowman) 

We are sorry to be leaving Rainier, I know that I could sit and stare out at the stunning scenery forever. 

Miss you  already Rainier...

Mt Adams by Moonlight

It started out to be a lazy day in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  We are loving our camp at North Fork Campground on the Cispus River.

 

Hailey, as teenagers will, sleeps until I wake her.  I enjoyed the morning all to myself with plans to play around camp for the day.  Time for basin baths, shampoo’s and camp chores.  Every day isn’t a travel or exploring day.  But we do find time for fun every day.  The slowed down travel time is what makes our travels different from a fast-paced vacation.
Late morning is the time for best sun in this camp so it is the time for catching sunlight on the solar panel. 

I have discovered that more sunlight comes in during direct sun than can be stored in the battery so this is the time to recharge all the rechargeables; computer, phone, portable DVD player, batteries etc, and make sure the battery in Lolita for lights is toped off.  So that is the time to do camp chores as well.
It is hard to make dishes, and basin baths glamorous but we have fun with it just the same.   One consolation is that with a tiny house the chores don’t last long.The big thing that makes us feel better is hair shampoos.  Doing your hair in a sink is challenging but oh, so worth the effort!  We feel renewed!!

We read a little and later in the afternoon we mosey on down to our private little beach and play in the water.

 

After lunch the camp host comes by and visits a bit.  She mentions that it will be a full moon (hard to tell when you are deep in the forest).  I of course want pictures and she mentions the best viewing spot for pictures will be a Mt Adams at Takhlakh Lake (don’t expect any help with pronunciation of this Indian name) which is about 20 miles away.  The lake sits near the base of Mt Adams with a beautiful reflection of Mt Adams in the back round.

Plans for a lazy afternoon are off, spicy beans and veggie and rice dinner into the thermal cooker and we are headed through the forest on an adventure.…

We arrive to find kayakers on the lake, fisherman fishing from shore and ravaging mosquitoes biting on this idealic lake.

 People from the campground began to gather with their camp chairs to watch the evening show.  Others like myself came with dinner in toe, and armed with camera’s.
 

It wasn’t long after the sun set that the moon began to rise over the mountain.

 

The atmosphere was festive as if the participants were expecting fireworks.

 

 

Fireworks couldn’t have been more splendid!!

On the Move…. Mt Rainier to Mt Adams

One last drive up to Mt Rainier for early morning light….  The most amazing discovery happened at the Sunrise Vista.  In an area surrounded by nothing but mountains and forests we had 4G service with 3 bars. Up in the forests you can get pretty excited about internet service.  Even in the little gas stops….hard to call them towns there is rarely more than 1X service.







We did what all good tourists do and made a little   snow woman and invited her home for breakfast.















I have always thought of Mt Rainier and Mt Adams as singular mountains.  But the truth is far different.  They are part of the Cascade Mountain Range.  As I look to the south I was impressed with how rugged the mountains appear. 



There are no lights on the mountains (except a lone mountain top beacon) and this is not a populated area.  It is simply you, alone I the wilderness.  It is such a reminder of how insignificant humans can be in nature.   

On the way back from camp we did a little more exploring before heading back to camp for breakfast.

Remnants of previous ice flows cropped out along the road.  

The interplay between fire and ice on Mt Rainier formed unusual rock formations.  Andesite lava, the most common on Mt Rainier, flowed down the mountain.  It was unable to melt the ice field completely and formed rivers of lava that when cooled quickly, formed rock columns that cracked in the hexagon shape that you see.


There are many hairpin turns as you go up and down mountains.  The road is wide enough for large vehicles, you just pray that the race car drivers…..stay on their side of the road.  Most of the largest vehicles and motor homes leave their  huge homes at  camping resorts farther down the mountain.  

Often at these hair pin turns if you look closely at the corner, there are waterfalls that are continuing to carve a path down the mountain with melting snow and ice.

After three days at White River we moved down the road a piece. 

The campground was starting to get busy with lots of folks moving in for the weekend so we wanted to find a more remote place to ride out the weekend.  I had heard of a campground that was located between White River and Paradise Visitor Center look out that would put us close to checking out the beauty on Mt Rainier from the West Side of the Mountain. 

So we loaded up and headed down the road. We were headed to La Wis Wis Campground which is located along a river. It was a very busy campground especially with the weekend coming up so we kept going and ended up at the North Fork Campground which is about 12 miles south of Randall on Forest Road 23.



It is a quiet campground and even over the weekend there has not been a night that it’s been full.  There is an amazing amount of space between the camps so there is plenty of piece and quiet.

It is a National forest service campground so it is priced at $18 or $9 for seniors. 



We have a path down to the river and our own private little beach.  I think we will be staying here as a home base and exploring from here.  A bridge lead to the group camping spots.

   

      



      What a peaceful place!!











  
Moving day is always a big adventure so tomorrow will be a camp exploring play day before we venture out with a day trip.

Can you hear the peaceful sound of the river and gentle rustle in the trees?

Ah, Heaven!!

 

Magical Sunrise

Sometimes, it is enough to be in a beautiful setting and just drink in the splendor,

To feel the remaining cool nights breeze tickling the hairs on your neck,

Some times of the day begs you to be still and just be present, setting aside all the busyness of the day and taking in the quietness.

Sunrise is such a time.

It begins softly

Slipping in slowly without fanfare,

Mt Adams off in the distance

Emerging with a soft glow

Until it bursts, dramatically into vibrant view

Revealing the presence of all that waits

 

and the sun envelopes you, gaining in presence..

The Sun Rising,

Begs you, Be Still, Be Present

And the Magic has begun.