Mt. Rainer

Heaven. Mt. Rainer is heaven. Even when it's cold and clouded over and just a few wild flowers are pushing through the snow, it's heaven. I would go any season, any weather; this visit, however, the weather was perfect, and the wild flowers went cascading over the Paradise fields like the Nisqually glacial melt went cascading down the river.

Wild flowers, old growth forest, mountain air just smell so good. I kept taking great gulps and mental photographs: this cedar, trunk twisted and bark exploded off--a lightening strike Joel taught us. This one with the huge holes from woodpeckers. The streams of bright red Indian paint brush in the eddies of bear grass. The glacier receding. The marmot stepping where humans are not allowed to step, cheerfully eating the precious wild flowers. The mountain etched into the sky.

Packing was a ton of work. We spent at least a week on it. I give John full credit for hauling the camping gear upstairs, out to the car, into the car, and cooking black bean soup for second night dinner. I got nervous we hadn't checked out lists and made an REI run, but at the list minute we borrowed a tent, sleeping pad, and pie irons. That worked.

It was supposed to be 42 and raining our first day, but by some miracle it just sprinkled a little. It was cold, especially at night, but nothing at extra wool sweater couldn't solve. The kids have finally hit the stage where they can play independently. Once I decided David could cross the street in the campground without holding hands, we were both completely free. He and the seven other kids played beautifully together. They were all 4.5-8. No one was left out. I think it was mostly make believe games though there was one very exciting moment where David and Maggie discovered sap on a tree, just like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Well, it wasn't maple sap, but same idea. I didn't realize camping could be about sitting around with the grown-ups chatting and drinking Pete's.

Thanks to my large luxurious cot, my back didn't go out. I got enough sleep. The kids didn't get enough sleep, but they got enough that they didn't melt down. We hiked to the waterfall at Paradise, the Nisqually glacial trail, and the lovely walk from Cougar Rock to Longmire. I made friends with a tree growing from a fallen cedar log. I plan to visit it every year.