For a first time visit to Rainier, we ended up working our way to the official Paradise trail heads. We had no clue what to expect. After a long drive winding up and around the mountains to some of the most serene rock structure views we had yet witnessed as Washingtonians, the winter wonderland known as Paradise popped up with a plethora of people all eager to see what the mountain had to offer. It is evident this is a popular place. The main lodge with its spacious parking (and not so diligent drivers/parkers) was completely full and we even had to fight to find a spot in the secondary lot just a bit further down the road. Young and old, all cultures, all levels of experience, all sorts of people can be found running around in the snow up here.
So, I am of the camp that I typically go out into nature to get away from crowds, loud noises, technology, etc. While it is nice to see so many people enjoying themselves and all the chaos they could bring to such a majestic place, I was eager to find some places to explore and lose it all. Now looking at the hiking maps, there are plenty of paths and trail heads that have been labeled in the area. But nothing is really marked and this area truly is just a vast snowy plain carved out by other people venturing out into the white abyss.
The pictures attached are indeed of Paradise, but of what ACTUAL trail I haven't the faintest clue. Kayla and I threw on our new crampons, shouldered our packs, and just started trekking. We saw a real steep place that HAD to have spectacular view where some other adventurists were descending and we just said LETS GO.
This being our first time using crampons, we could definitely tell the difference with traction and how they helped push us along. With the sticks as well, the more steep it got, the more thankful we were to have the things we got to help us along. The only true set back was when Kayla had sadly forgotten her sunglasses. It didn't take long for the glaring brightness from the snow on that side of the mountain to start to take its effect. She acclimated soon though and we weren't going too deep anyway, but it was definitely a lesson learned. With the REALLY steep grades we counted steps of 50 in between quick breaks so we didn't burn out too hard. But we got up high enough to where the panoramic view of everything around us was well worth it.
The descent down was just as fun as going up due to how deep the snow was and how it shifted in spots. I developed a way of stepping heal first and letting my foot roll to keep the traction underneath me. Kayla on the other hand was just fun to see come down a mountain and wouldn't win any efficiency contests : )
For our first true snow trek, it was definitely a wow experience that got us hooked and we were SO happy to have lost the crowds. But it was definitely something we confirmed a few things. Foot traction, check. . . Waterproof gear, check. . . Poles, check. . . Gear in general, check. . . Sun glasses, check. . . Sun screen, check. . . Warm layers, check, but be prepared to shed em'. . . Wherever it was on Paradise that we ended up, it did itself justice in living up to it's name.
Happy Trails
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