Jim Carson

Sunrise viewpoint

I spent the Fourth of July weekend camping at Mt. Rainier. (This is also a not-so-subtle attempt to test the Flickr posting thingie.)
Dates visited: July 1 - 4

Campsite: Ohanapecosh C15. I booked a site on the outskirts near the Ohanapecsh river. There was a drop of about 20' down leading to the river, no trail. The river's constant babbling filters out the other campers' noises. The bathrooms were relatively close, though the center cluster was packed with multiple families. (You do not want a center space.)

The sites in the "F-section" were more isolated, albeit dark and spooky.
Best features:

• It's Mount Rainier, baby. 14,410 feet of snow capped, glacier carved, active volcano presence. Bring your "ten essentials" and know your volcano evacuaation routes.
• Hiking.

Worst parts:

• Ranger program. We had a newbie who had completed her forestry program at Kent State, reknowned for its lack fo forestry resources. The poor gal was nervous, but her presentation on conservation was too dumbed down.
• Most campers had fires going. The trees surrounding the site kept the wind from blowing the smouldering mess away.

Hiking: *** Très bon!
Swimming: * Nonexistent. Go hiking instead.
Scenery: *** Glaciers and mountains and forests - oh my!
Campsites:** Sites were a little close.
Noise:** The roaring river didn't quite mask the snoring of the camper next door.