Four Itchy Feet

June 17. 2025. Packwood, Washington. Day 27 of 170

This week has certainly been a highlight of our trip: our long-awaited visit to Mount Rainier National Park. Mount Rainier is an awe-inspiring sight; its summit, at 14,410 feet, dwarfs the nearby mountains in the Cascade Range, which are beautiful in their own right. Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma, is a picture-perfect volcano from every angle and is easily admired from many miles before you even arrive at its base.

Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its high probability of eruption and its proximity to the large Seattle urban area. Rainier is adorned with 26 major glaciers, giving the mountain a blue coloration in many areas, contrasted by ochre-red stone and granites of different shades.

We drove in fully expecting a leisurely hike up the mountain, but what we found when we arrived at the visitor center at the bottom of the mountain was trails fully covered with a couple of feet of snow. What was supposed to be a hike quickly turned into a snowball fight! We hiked the Myrtle Falls trail, a one-mile round trip made difficult by the snow-covered ground.

Mount Rainier National Park does not disappoint; it is unlike any other National Park we have ever visited. Temperatures are expected to remain low, so hiking the actual volcano trails for the rest of the week is doubtful. The park still offers many trails to lakes, falls, and views of the volcano, so stay tuned for our adventures at Mount Rainier!