[Bryan K]

With the weather sketchy I decided to head down to road 73 and ehad up to Grand Park for my first time. I can tell you one thing, this will not be my last time up here!!! I will preface this TR by saying that to me this place is heaven on earth. I left my car at 8:30 and took to the trail.

Um, need a new sign?

In short time I was at the park boundary.

About .10 mile in, the trail enters the Mt Rainier National Park

Just shy of a mile later I was at Lake Eleanor

Lake Eleanor looking very peaceful and calm

I checked out the area and found all four campsites and the comfort house. The sites seemed to offer a decent view of the lake, the john did not. Back on the trail I soon noticed this tree

This tree is bearing the cross

With the holey sign and now a cross tree I was begining to think this would be a spiritual trip if nothing else. The trail was a little more steep in some sections than I had thought it would be. Then I got here

A preview to what I was going to see in Grand Park.

and I thought, "cool I'm here", ha!!! not so fast buddy, this would just be a teaser meadow. After visiting Papa Smurf's house

Just checking to see if Papa Smurf was home, he wasn't.

I finally got to the park, and I must say that it lives up to it's name!!!!! Shortly after entering I got this view

Shortly after entering the park is where I shot this pano from. The fog was rolling in from the right and shortly after shooting this the trees on the right were out of sight.

Even with the fog I was amazed by this place, the sheer size was so much to take in. Between the clean air, the vastness and the absolute quiet, I felt that I was in heaven. I'm actually glad I couldn't see the mountain because it forced me to absorb what was around me and not focus on the looming volcano a few short miles away. I can't wait to get a permit and camp in this paradise!! It was hard to leave but I did need to get back to the city I can't wait to get back!!!!!!! A few more pics.

Moles making a trail map of the park

The sun started coming out as I was on my way back to the trailhead..

Privacy for the privy at Lake Eleanor Camp

Valentines mushroom

Pano from where I stopped for a snack

A few more here.

[JimK]

Glad you had a good time Bryan. Now you just need to go back on a clear day...

[Joe]

A snow shoe or x-c ski trip is fun too

rainier2

[silence]

nice pix bryan --- beautiful place, but almost anywhere on the mountain is heaven!! re: camping -- only 2 parties allowed in grand park at one time -- so enjoy the solitude; after the tarns dry up (early on) no water except at berkeley park or lake eleanor -- mass bugs then; have to be 1/4 mi off-trail and out of site from any designated trails -- including fremont lookout above; lots of bears (scat) and elk; enjoy the views!

[silence]

Joe -- awesome shot; early winter, late spring, or did you ski up the road?

[Joe]

Late spring. That photo was taken on 5-19-2007. Usually by Mid-May (plus or minus depending on the snow level that year), you can drive to within a mile of the summer parking area. I have x-c skied and snow shoed to Grand Park many times.

[Bryan K]

Silence, thanks for the heads up on the out of sight part, I knew about the 1/4 mile part but not the other. I hope to get up there with clear skies and maybe even some snow too. Oh I forgot to mention (duh) I actually got a bit of snow while I was up there!! Shortly after entering the park I noticed that the moisture in the air was more visible, because it was snow!!!! Way cool.

[silence]

[TPayne]

Nice report Bryan, I'd like to go back there. I went once from Sunrise and that's was a long dayhike. How's the condition of FR 73? Do recall how many miles the parking area is from the Highway?

[Bryan K]

TPayne, it is about 9 miles I think from 410 to the TH. 73 is in rather good condition, just a little bit of washboard surface, your car could make it very easily. About the dead trees up there, was there a fire a while back that killed all those trees? Must have been 30-40 years ago if that's the case.