Hiking around Mt. Rainier

There is nothing quite like the mountains. The clean air drawn deep into my lungs filled with the scent of pine brings about a sense of quiet relaxation. Twenty-six years ago my husband and I camped, just the two of us. We camped primitively back then; a small pup tent, sleeping bags and a few essentials to cook with. Now, a tent trailer that sleeps seven, but all beds empty except the one we laid our heads upon.  We talked of going back to the simplicity of just the tent, but the thought of sleeping on the ground again made us think twice.

We reminisced over camping with our kids. It is different than vacationing by hotel. Our kids learned how to chop wood for campfires, how to make roasting sticks from branches, how to look for edible berries and tracks of animals. We learned to play hours upon hours of card and dice games when the rain outside pattered hard upon our trailer. We enjoyed stories around the campfire and roasting smores. Oh the memories!

The beauty of Mt. Rainier is unsurpassed. 

We spent a day hiking on the Nachese Trail Loop. There 

are several beautiful high alpine lakes along the trail.

We stopped for lunch and the birds flocked around us 

hoping to receive a crumb or two from our sandwiches.

One decided to rest upon my boot looking for a handout.

Snow comes early to the mountains. We ended up cutting our Labor Day weekend short due to the forecast that predicted a 60% chance of snow. The day we left, the area we had hiked was so socked in with fog, you could barely see a few feet in front of you. We were grateful to have had the weather we did and look forward to our next visit.