Continuing our Thursday on The Mountain Schedule, Leslie, Paul and I explored a new area of Mount Rainier, the Emmons Moraine Trail. Personally, I was a little skeptical about the hike because I didn’t think it was high enough to get the kind of views that we usually get. Turns out, perhaps for the first time in my life, that I was wrong.
Most of the hike took place in old-growth forest while following the White River up to its source, so it was relatively cool, a good thing because the combination of heat and altitude gain have been challenging for me lately, particularly heat.
Luckily, the trail was criss-crossed by multiple creeks which added to the beauty of the hike while reinforcing the air-conditioning.
There were parts of the trail that weren’t forested that seemed considerably warmer, but we hardly noticed the change in heat because of the beautiful views
and, especially, the flowers that carpeted the small meadows like this Lewis Monkeyflower
or, a personal favorite, Indian Paintbrush.
Sometimes if you looked up in a clearing you could see the cliffs that the Wonderland Trail follow.
After two miles we finally arrived where you crossed the White River. It turned out to be too narrow for Leslie, and I will have to admit that I was a little apprehensive in two or three spots on the climb up to the trees.
We decided to go to the base camp instead, which would have made it a 6 mile round trip. Less than a mile up the trail, though, I decided that was enough for me. My hip was beginning to tighten up, and I was showing the effects of this week’s heat and a lack of sleep and decided that discretion was better than exhaustion. We ended up only going 4.2 miles with 935 feet of elevation gain.
Despite not making it as far as I would have liked, it was a delightful hike. The trail is well-maintained, probably because it starts on the edge of the only campground on the North side of the mountain. Though we met people both going up and coming down the trail, it never seemed crowded, and it definitely felt like you were in the wilderness while hiking.
Nice hearing from you again, Loren. Last week I was up hiking the High Peaks region around Lake Placid, NY. Not many bird sightings, but did catch an immature bald eagle fly close by right when I made it up to one of the summits. Seeing it coast over the outstretched valley below was truly majestic.
Cheers!
~Brian (FBT)
I love it when you see birds out hiking in the wilderness, which seems quite different than seeing them when you are consciously birding. I still enjoy reading your blog selections when I remember to open News Explorer. I am having a hard time consistently posting.