A day at Mount Rainier

Quote of the Post: "If you are real adventure and nature lover, A lifetime of discovery awaits here." Quote about 'Mount Rainier' - Sachin Kumar Gupta

There are a lot to write about and a lot to explore at Rainier! One can go for adventurous experiences, ranging from rock-climbing to hiking and mountaineering to summit. One can find the directions, operating hours in different seasons, road status, weather information, reservations and other information at the following link. 

Mt. Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington and the Cascade Range with 26 major glaciers. Apart from being famous for its beautiful tracks, snowfields and mountains, it also takes away the credit of being one of most dangerous Volcanoes in the world (Ref: Decade Volcano List). Sounds interesting. Isn't it! It being a major tourist destination, you can find adequate amenities for your trek, including map, the info broucher etc at the entrance. 

The scenic drive goes around 5 major points - Longmire, Paradise Point, Ohanapecosh, Sunrise Point and Carbon/Mowich Point.  It may be possible that not all the points are open during your visit. There are some picnic points, camping places, hiking points, and many trails and falls to explore. Skying and snowboardiing is shows-topper for the tourists. Be prepare for the weather change all the times. July and August is the best time to visit this iconic place. Mostly it rains here for the rest of the year with heavy snowfall from November to April. 

I started my journey with quite an enthusiastic group - Neelesh, Anil, Anvi and sweet kid (name), and their friends Hemant and Ashutosh. We entered from Nisqually Entrance and luckily got the free entrance passes that day. The first attraction was the beautiful Christine Falls lying below the rustic stone bridge, which glues you to the place for couple of moments. Next in line was Longmire. The beauty of the Nisqually Glacier was stunning and kept us mum during our move from Longmire to Paradise Point via Glacier Bridge. Our next halt at Narada Falls, was the photo session time, wherein we steped-up the snow hill & capture some views. To our surprise, we had Pao Bhaaji (best so far) at lunch. 

After that we continued to Paradise Point, famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. The inabrupt reaction to the view  from Paradise Point comes as "Am I in Paradise!" and hence the name. Near the parking area, You can enjoy the visitor center and double-fold your Paradise experience. You'll find some information and trip planning in the lobby and 20 min orientation film in the theater. We also attended a film session about Mount Rainier, and how it is related to life, and how powerful geologic forces keep the shape of the mountain. Don't forget the special exhibit on the upper level: "An Unquie Beauty: The Power and Presence of Mount Rainier." It explains how meadow flowers survive long winters and adopt record snowfalls. We enjoyed sometime here, and just went up to take a troll over the hills covered with fresh snow. At the roadside, points of interest are Reflection Lake and Inspiration Point.

All in all the day was an experience with amazing food, topped with the fun I had with all friends, Anil and family at Seattle. The Sun was about to say adieu for the day and we were on our way back to Seattle on the Glacier Bridge. We were compelled by the colours in the sky to stop over and take them along with us in our memories. Rest points, may be in next trip if possible. See you in the midst of mountain sometime. 

Other Places visited in USA:

A sunny day to ... San Juan Islands, Washington, USA.
Flight view of Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, USA.

Endless Landscapes ... Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA.

Night Life at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Day Life at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Universal Studios Tour, Los Angeles, California, USA

A snowy trip to Leavenworth, Washington, USA

Boulder Dam - Hoover Dam, Arizona - Nevada Border, USA

Tillicum Village, Blake Island Tour, Seattle, Washington