Wildflowers at Mt. Rainier National Park

I had heard that the wildflowers were finally at peak season, so I packed up the kids to do some camping and wildflower hunting. We tried the northeast corner of the park, so basically as far from home as humanly possible. It is quite the trek to get there, but ultimately well worth it. We scored a nice campsite at White River, after passing another site that was completely full. We grabbed the first available free site that we found, set up our tents, and then went about exploring the area.

First we headed to Tipsoo Lake on the far eastern edge of the park. We had a nice hike around the lake, which was basically a scouting hike for the following morning. It was fairly cloudy over by Rainier, but sunny where we were. After that we made our way to Sunrise, the highest point by road in the park. The kids did their Junior Ranger stuff, and along the way we hiked about a mile out to Shadow Lake. The northwest corner of the lake was covered in wildflowers, which made the place look and smell wonderful. I had to get a shot of the kids along the trail.

I had originally meant to spend sunset at Sunrise (don't get me started), but clouds were moving in and actually forming overhead, so I figured the odds of a pretty sunset were low. So down the mountain we drove so I could make dinner. There was a bit of firewood left over at our site from the previous occupants, so Ian, Leah, and I set up our chairs around the fire and watched some Ranger TV. The kids loved it!

Next morning we were up early so I could go shoot some photos at Tipsoo Lake. I figured there would be a couple of other hardy souls up that early, but I was not prepared for the horde of photographers that were up there! I still had a nice time, and the kids relaxed in the car while I traipsed along the trails through the meadows looking for some nice compositions. The weather cooperated with clear skies, meaning excellent views of Yakima Peak and Mt. Rainier in the distance.

From there we drove to Paradise and checked out the flowers there. I had a nice time, but the kids weren't enjoying the uphill walks at elevation. I cut the trip short by a bit and we made our way home. Almost everything is washed and put away back in its place. It was a nice trip, but as always it is nice to come home. Cheers,

Marc