Yesterday we called MRNP to get an idea of how much snow we could expect on this hike. The ranger told me that there would be a lot of snow, and to bring snowshoes. Of course, the snowshoes stayed on our packs the whole day! We encountered a few inches of compacted snow at around 4800ft. From there to the summit it was patchy.
We would have been more comfortable today in shorts, since it was nearly 70 degrees at the summit! There are two campsites near the summit, one with a great view of Mt. Rainier. And to our surpise the toilet (located by the campsites), was not "closed for the season"!
-------------- This thing called work is interfering with my play
Nice photos of Rainier! Nothing better than being that close to "The Mountain" on a clear day.
Where do the views to Rainier start, point 4775? I know my wife would love that hike but the elevation gain all the way to the lookout would be too much.
1K,
Besides the previous response to your question, on our descent, at about 400 feet below the summit, we encountered a group of 6 "older" hikers on their way to the look out. They were chatting and having a good time. It was a great day to be out on a trail (snow shoes not reauired).
-------------- This thing called work is interfering with my play
We should have waved to you from Mildred Point. We had no more than 8" of snow all the way up to 5900'. Beautiful day for shorts and short sleeves. Very cold at Longmire in the morning and still a little cold in the afternoon. Really nice up higher.
We chose to leave the snowshoes in the car. That was the right choice. Paradise showed three feet of snow a week ago but only 14" yesterday. Glad to see you folks had a nice day in the sunshine.
Hwy 123 on the east side of Rainier. From Enumclaw take Hwy 410 to Cayuse pass, cross Cayuse pass onto Hwy 123. It's a couple miles down on the left, and easy to drive by if no cars are parked there.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
Take your wife, have a leisurely pace and enjoy it. 
