Shriner Peak — Sunday, Jul. 9, 2017

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon

What a perfect day for my 7&4 year old boys to bag their last fire lookout in mount rainer national park. We left the car at 7am. Only one other car at the trail head. Up, up, up we went. The trail was soft and clear or annoying rocks and roots. Once we gained the ridge we were greeted by the largest fields of bear grass I have ever seen. Mount Adams piped out from the foothills and of course mount rainer in all its glory. We followed the ridge a while in and out of forests and meadows. It felt as if we were back in the days of old and the fellowship of the ring riders would greet up on horses :-) Snow patches in the trees were no big deal. We spent an hour and a half on top alone. The bugs were annoying and we came home with a handful of bites but nothing to out of the norm for this time of year. The trek down was quick. We filled up at the last small creek crossing. The trail is hot and dry. Lots of water on a hot day is highly recommended. Our boys had a ball playing games down the trail. One of which is napping along the trail. :-) something the grownups wished was a possibility due to the heat and exhaustion felt from herding kiddos up and down. If solitude is what you seek, hydrate up and enjoy a unique view of the mountain. We saw a total of 11 people. The parking lot is small so it keeps the crowds away.