Glacier Basin Trail - Mount Rainier Area - 6/29/17

Today we returned to the Mount Rainier area to hike the Glacier Basin Trail. The trail-head is at the end of the White River Campground area, and the sign shows the way. This was a somewhat busy trail since the road to Sunrise is still closed for a few more days. 

The hike is a continuous, slight uphill through the alpine forest along the White River. The views are beautiful, with Little Tahoma and Rainier peaking through the trees along the way. At about 1.3 miles, we were warned by other hikers of a mother black bear with a cub about 10 minutes up the trail. Since I was alone with the kids, we decided to turn around and try out the Emmons Morain spur trail that crosses the White River. This trail was nice, and we will return to finish it next week, with our mamma bear along for the trip. 

At the trail-head, ready to go!

Alpine forest hiking, we love it.

One of about a dozen waterfall streams across the trail.

Cannot resist the waterfalls.

Hike, hike, hike!

Little Tahoma and Rainier

Rest time.

Across the White River valley.

Another trail side waterfall.

White River valley, with a clear view of Little Tahoma and Rainier.

River bed valley

Crossing on the rocks.

A perfectly maintained trail, including bridges.

Silver Falls Loop Trail - Mt. Rainier - 6/28/17

Today the kids and I headed out to our first hike this season in the Mount Rainier area. We hiked to the Silver Falls waterfall on the Silver Falls Loop trail, located off WA-123 at the Ohanapecosh Campground - River ranger station.

This trail was great for the kids, with very little elevation gain and many beautiful streams to cross along the 1.2 miles to the falls. Being early in the summer, there was plenty of water rushing over the falls, captivating the kids. After the falls, the loop continues through the quiet forest and back to the camp ground. This hike is easy for kids and highly recommended. 

Following the hike, we stopped at a roadside snowbank to play in the snow for a few minutes. We also drove up to Cayuse Pass and Chinook Pass to spy on some of our other favorite hiking spots. At over 5000 feet in elevation, we found the trails to still be pretty well covered in snow. We will keep an eye on these, but we will be sticking to lower elevation hiking for another 3 weeks or so. 

Silver Falls trail-head sign and waterfall.

One of many streams along the way.

Perfectly maintained trail and bridges.

Can't resist the waterfall.

Great hikers!

No joke.

Ohanapecosh River, downstream from the falls.

Snow-bank fun in late June!

Snow!

Mount Rainier, from Chinook Pass area

Little Si - 4.8 miles - 6/26/17

Today the kids and I made an afternoon of hiking up Little Si Mountain. This 4.8 mile round-trip hike climbed over 1300 feet in elevation to the peak. The hike was demanding for us, but nothing we could not handle. The kids enjoyed the views from the top, and exploring around once we reached the summit. We had a great day on the mountain, and will return to this hike for more mountain fun.

Return to Gold Creek Loop trail - 6/25/17

Today we decided we could not beat the heat without a trip up into the mountains. We drove up to Snoqualmie pass and enjoyed a hike around the lake at Gold Creek Loop trail. This is a beautiful place to visit, and the hike is very accessible. Surrounded by mountain peaks, this hike is one of our favorites. This time we splashed around in the creek at the back of the lake, and the cold water felt good on our feet. On a cooler day, we plan to return to hike the Gold Creek trail, which runs up into the mountains along Gold Creek. This hike is wonderful, and highly recommended.