Reunion At Mount Rainier

Two Friends’ Mini-Expedition of Highway 12 and Mount Rainier National Park

I’ve now lived in the great state of Washington for almost 10 months and let me tell you: I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the Pacific North-West! With its vast and variable landscape that stretches from yellow grassy hills shielding green farmland under endless, open, sunny skies to sharp mountains mottled with towering evergreens rising into misty clouds, this scenery beckons to me. The phrase is so cliché, yet it applies to me all the same: the mountains are calling and I must go!

So a couple weekends ago when I got the chance to show my best friend the incredible beauty of Upper Left, USA, a slightly eccentric idea went through my mind. It wasn’t the first time that such a thought had flitted past my brain, but the first time that it had truly stuck (with a little glue added by my best friend, Jenn): maybe I should try my hand at a blog…

It took a lot for me to pack up my more prized possessions (and pets) in Morgantown, WV and drive 2,650 miles (give or take) to move to Yakima, WA in August of 2018. After finally earning my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from West Virginia University, I was ready to embark on my next journey. Since then I have consulted many blogs and personal comments to help plan my explorations, so I thought I might try sharing my adventures with the rest of the world and see if anyone else found them as interesting as I do… But all of that and more are yet to come in later posts! This first post is about the incredible (and lucky!) experience I had showing my friend, Jenn, one of my favorite sights in Washington: Mount Rainier.

For anyone that doesn’t know, Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington State. A 14,410-foot active volcano, Mount Rainier is the 5^th highest and most glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. It’s a spectacular sight, but that’s only when you can see it… While I live in central/eastern Washington in a high desert with over 300 sunny days per year, the mountains are part of the western, rain forested section of the state, and the weather there can be unpredictable.

Finally, a Chance to Show Off…

When I learned that Jenn was coming to visit me the weekend before starting her internship with NASA: JPL in Pasadena, CA (yes, I know, she’s a genius!), I knew I had to show her the beauty of Washington’s mountains and forests. I gave her the option of renting a cabin in Packwood or Leavenworth, with the guidance that while Leavenworth had a little more to do in the likely event that it was a rainy May weekend in the mountains, Packwood could potentially give us views of the iconic volcano. She decided to take the risk, enticed a little farther by the prospect of a hot tub, and just like that, our VRBO was booked! As I anxiously awaited her arrival I kept my eye on the weather in Packwood. The previous week showcased a clear blue sky with views of Mount Adams daily on my drive into work in Prosser from the Tri-Cities, but my heart sank each time my weather app loaded and displayed an upcoming forecast filled with clouds and rain. I continually told myself that the mountains are impressive no matter the weather and a hot tub feels even better in a cold rain storm, but I also sent prayers out to the universe that the clouds would part at least enough to give her a glimpse of Nisqually Glacier or Point Success.

Once Jenn finally arrived in Tri-Cities Thursday night we settled into our friendship as if we’d never missed a day, as always. We spent the evening chatting and enjoying a scrumptious dinner of Japanese food. After pushing through my partial day of work Friday, I took her to Chamna Nature Preserve just a short walk from my apartment and then into Yakima with another delicious dinner and a cozy hotel stay.

Off to The Mountains…

We set out of Yakima Saturday morning under partly cloudy skies and I was reluctant to allow myself to get excited and jinx the remainder of our day. I knew that we were still a few hours drive from Mount Rainier and it was very likely that the skies we were currently seeing overhead would not be recreated when reached our final destination.  I chuckled quietly as I listened to Jenn gasp at the “mountains” surrounding Yakima; she looked at me wide-eyed with disbelief as I told her “Those are just hills, girl. They’re gonna get much bigger!” As each turn of Highway 12 opened our view into another section of the Tieton River Valley she began to understand what I meant. And then all of a sudden we swung around a bend and we both let out a scream of excitement because there it was: Mount Rainier: big, bright, and beautiful!

We wound our way closer to the mountain, stopping each time Rainier’s peak appeared to admire the view; no matter how many times you see her, you have to pause a moment to catch your breath. I swelled with joy as I listened to Jenn gasp around every turn because I had been so worried that weather wouldn’t work out for us. As we approached Paradise and found a parking spot fairly easily, I knew that the rest of the trip would go off without a hitch!

Hiking Onto Rainier…

We explored the Visitor’s Center, including a purchase at the gift shop, regrouped at the car, and then set out into the snow with no real destination in mind, just enjoying the sun reflecting brightly off the white ground. Every time we rounded a new ridge, we looked to the next and both exclaimed “Maybe just one more?” Eventually, we stuck to our word and spent several moments admiring our views: Rainier to one side and St. Helens to another!

As the awe of the view subsided slightly and the chill of the wind set in (we’d hiked a little out from the tree line and our improved views were off-set by decreased protection), we decided it was time to descend and make our way to our lodging for the night. All the giddiness of the day culminated into this moment as we slid, skied, and scrambled down the slope, laughing all the way. Our muscles ached as we finally climbed into the car, looking forward to the hot tub at our VRBO, which absolutely did not disappoint! We stayed in a small two-bedroom cabin near Packwood with all the essentials and two beautiful porches. The front provided a view of Rainier’s peak in the partly cloudy evening sky as well as the sight and sound of the Cowlitz River, with a hot tub to top it off; while the back was secluded in the trees with a symphony of bird songs meeting your ears.

A Drive Home in a Different World…

We awoke Sunday to a misty mountain scenery with low clouds obscuring any views of the peaks. I was pleased to see Jenn just as exhilarated by this scene as she had been the day before as we packed up the car and set into town for a quick to-go breakfast before heading back to Tri-Cities Airport. We made several more stops as we made our way east on Highway 12, admiring the way the low hanging clouds reflected off the lakes. At one point I could tell Jenn was dying to stop so I parked along the extended shoulder. We heard the roar of rushing water as we opened the car doors, and to our immense delight we peered across the valley through the mist at an enormous unnamed waterfall.

As the trees started to thin Jenn requested one final stop before they dissipated completely, and we sat for a few moments listening to the melody of the birds and the river. I thanked Jenn for coming to visit me as she thanked me in turn for sharing my new home. We reveled for a bit longer in each other’s company, knowing that our time together was almost at an end…

It’s difficult sometimes being so far from my family and friends, being so far from my comfort zone. But each time that I am able to explore a new place or show off my new home, I know this is all worth it; I know that I could never be fully satisfied without allowing myself the opportunity to explore all of these beautiful, unfamiliar, and sometimes unexpected places.

So for now, I’m just gonna keep wandering through this Pacific North Wonderland…

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road can take you there.”

-Lewis Carroll, Alice In Wonderland

Enjoy this post? Check out more trip photos here!