Mountain Paradise - Day 1

In between the days in Seattle, The Husband and I spent four days at a cabin in the shadow of Mount Rainier.

The Cabin

The Cabin Owner's Dog Came By Twice A Day To Play Fetch

On our first full day, we headed for Mt. Rainier National Park to go hiking.  We took part of the Wonderland Trail until it intersected with another trail that lead to Carter and Madcap Falls.

Looking up the Nisqually River from the Wonderland Trail

Almost immediately, we crossed the rushing waters of the Nisqually River on a narrow, uneven log bridge.  A year and a half ago, we were prevented from crossing the river due to a bridge washout!

Nisqually River

After the river crossing, the trail was a steep uphill climb to Carter Falls.

Carter Falls

The trees were so thick along the trail that Carter Falls was nearly obscured.  About 50 yards further up the trail was Madcap Falls.

Madcap Falls

Splash pool below Madcap Falls

After a quick look at our map and a time check, we decided that we had time to hike further up the trail to Narada Falls.  The trail grew even steeper and laced with tree roots and loose rocks. Before we reached Narada Falls, we came upon one of Mt. Rainier's many back country camps.

Back Country Campsite

A reminder that we're in Bear Country!

After 4 1/2 uphill miles, we arrived at Narada Falls...and it was worth the sore legs.

Narada Falls

After admiring the waterfall for a bit (and resting) we turned around and retraced our steps.  It had been cloudy and misty all day up until we reached the river crossing and then suddenly, the sun came out...and so did the mountain.

Mt. Rainier as seen from the Nisqually River crossing

 

By the time we reached our car in the Longmire parking lot, we had been hiking for just over 4 hours and we were exhausted and starving!  We headed back to our cabin for some dinner, a soak in the hot tub and of course...a game of fetch!