Mt. Rainier

We spent a couple days at Mt. Rainier camping, exploring and trying to stay cool in the sweltering heat. It's been an unusually dry winter in the Northwest (and a lot of other places) which has transitioned into a very hot summer. Even the high elevation of Mt. Rainier couldn't save us from the blazing temperatures. It was a toasty stay at Cougar Rock Campground and even toastier when we ventured out on trails. Soon after arriving and setting up camp we went for a short hike to Carter Falls. It was a jaunt of 2 miles roundtrip, a perfect evening hike to a lovely destination.

Inevitably, Wendy was interested in the dirt. Rather than try to keep her from playing with it, we thought we'd let her explore and experience what it was. We thought that if she put the dirt in her mouth she would realize that it was something she didn't want to eat. Well, our Wendy is something else. It seemed like she actually enjoyed it. So she ended up with a mouth full of dirt and pine needles. And she didn't mind one bit. 

Our campsite was nestled right by the perfect little cove for Wendy to explore in. We loved seeing her fascination for everything in sight. She seemed to particularly enjoy this fallen tree. 

Our second day at Mt. Rainier was spent hiking the Skyline Trail at Paradise. After some car trouble and help from kind campers and a park ranger, we were off to a late start. We've experienced this trail during the warm summer months and in the cold winter with snowshoes and it is magnificent in both settings. It is a hearty jaunt of 5.5 miles, which was a long hike to do in absurdly warm weather (around 90 degrees) and no shade. But alas, we all made it and had some amazing views to enjoy along the way. Wendy was a trooper as always and even took a little nap in the Poco. She loved walking around Panorama Point and the Visitor's Lodge, where she made friends with every passer-by. We celebrated the completion of our hike with the most satisfying ice-cream cones any of us has ever had. Wendy had one of her first tastes of ice-cream and was an instant fan. Upon returning to our campsite we cooked dinner and basked in the sore-muscle goodness that follows a hearty hike. Mt. Rainier is such a special place. We feel so lucky to have visited there so often.