After saying goodbye to friends in Seattle we decided to brave the interior and head into the mountains. We knew that the wildfires were running rampant but it was quite shocking to see the effect they had on all of the areas. Apparently, the smoke that was affecting the Rainier area was coming all the way from British Columbia. We later found out that the BC smoke was making it all the way to Newfoundland.
We decided to visit the Sunrise Visitor Center as it was the most easily accessible from the Seattle area and we weren't disappointed. The visitor center road took us up the side of a mountain to a vista that looks upon Mount Rainier itself. We drove through meadows of wildflowers and through many tight curves as we made our way to the top. This area had a historic hotel, lovely old visitor's center, and many hikes which provided majestic views of this incredible mountain. Although the smoke was thick and we were not able to have a clear view, the majesty showed through the haze. With the air quality being as poor as it was, we chose a short hike that took us through the fields of wildflowers and also gave us lovely vistas of the mountain. Dylan worked hard on her junior ranger workbook while we hiked and explored the visitors center. She also participated in a water color workshop with a ranger and created a beautiful rainbow print. Our time on this mountain provided many thought patterns for me. I marveled at the strength of those people who have taken the time an energy to summit its peak. I also looked at the habitat that this area provided and became sad at the state of the wildfires in the area. I also felt very, very small as I realized that this mountain was formed through volcanic activity and realized that if she decided to become active again, her destruction would be so great that I would be just a speck along its path.
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |