We only had one tiny agenda item today so we looked forward to a good day of exploring. Our task for today was to acquire some more device charging cords because the phones and Kindles do not like some of our existing gear and were about to stage a walkout.
We drove what couldn’t have been more than 15 miles into what we think was Redmond to find a Radio Shack. The first 10 miles weren’t too bad but once we reached the outskirts of town, the conditions darkened considerably. Many traffic lights and local drivers performing bizarre maneuvers to access businesses slowed the abundance of cars to a near standstill. The road intersections are so skewed and frequent that you can see your destination but are seemingly prevented from driving there. We stopped at the Shack, got our stuff and then re-entered the fray for the trip back toward our RV park. After quite a bit longer than we anticipated, we were clearing the lights outside town and were on our way to Mount Ranier National Park.
We drove over many lumpy back roads through Cascade Range foothills before entering the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on the north side of the park before entering Mount Rainier National Park’s northeast corner. Once in the park, the roadside timber changes to old growth forest and the terrain gets very dramatic with massive rock-faced hillsides surrounded by huge stands of Douglas Fir and cedar. Flowers are abundant. Soon, through the trees there are glimpses of Mount Rainier, a 14,400 foot high giant volcano covered with massive glaciers. It is surrounded by scores of adjacent jagged peaks. The terrain is mostly vertical. Waterfalls cascade down ravines that intersect the road and they are beautiful.
We continued our clockwise path around the east and south sides of the volcano and eventually pulled into the Paradise Valley, a heavily touristed and congested area with a ranger station, a visitor center and what should have been dramatic views of the mountain. While Peggy was circling the parking lot and I was busy getting the postcards we wanted from the visitor center, the mountain was obscured by clouds forming around the top. As we descended from Paradise and its huge transient population, we pulled over for an extended period of time when the clouds were periodically dissipated and the crest was plainly visible. Mount Rainier is a monster. The view from the south allows dazzled viewers to see the mountain without distracting ridges in the foreground. About the upper 6,000 feet of mountain are visible from this angle and it fills up the horizon.
We ultimately emerged from the park in the southwest corner. We did not realize we had traveled so far while gawking at this magnificent volcano and its surroundings. The Garmin indicated we only had 100 miles to travel before getting back to Tall Chief RV Park near Fall City. The scenery along the road around the south and east sides of this gorgeous peak is absolutely stunning and should qualify for anyone’s Bucket List.
Tips for any future travelers on this route:
1. Many Washington drivers have poor lane discipline and frequently approach on your side of the double yellow line. Make sure your horn works before departure.
2. The roads are not really suitable for larger RVs because they are narrow, pass through a few low tunnels, have many tight turns and are quite lumpy. Your silverware could end up on the floor.
We shot a few pictures along the way and you can see them if you click here