Paradise to Longmire

I love hiking in the fall and this past weekend's camping trip gave me everything I look forward to when autumn finally arrives. Everything seems crisper in the fall: crisp air, crisp colors, crisp light. Even on drizzly days the light is of a timber that makes what is usual seem just a little extraordinary. Michael & I arrived at Mt Rainier Friday night and patiently (ok, maybe a little impatiently) waited for the rest of our camping buddies to show - my sister, Joannie & Bobby. Kristi finally arrived w/ her little muttley Joey after dark. Sadly, Joannie & Bobby arrived the next afternoon so missed the hike. We awoke to sprinkles in the air and anticipation in our steps.

Michael & I had been plugging away at the Wonderland Trail whenever we found some time & energy. This was to be a little 5 mile day hike from Paradise to Longmire, unlike the overnighters we had accomplished early on and are still planning. We caught the shuttle up to paradise and after a quick chat with the rangers, went looking for our trailhead at the far-end of the torn-up parking lot near the Inn. It wasn't long on the trail when we came across a meadow filled with blueberry bushes and paused for our first taste of alpine sweetness. Further down we came across the bumper-crop - bushes so full of berries just raking your fingers through the leaves would harvest a handful of tiny blue orbs of tart-sweetness. We half expected a bear to be munching along with us. We did, however spy a doe and two bucks resting in a meadow a little further down from the blueberry fields.

We began to follow the Paradise River down the mountain past a series of beautiful little waterfalls. Kristi & I kept stopping to take a picture of each one - we both love watching waterefalls. Michael & I had snowshoed this same trail and compared this experience to the previous one: it's quieter in the winter - less car noise & less water noise too, but the tree branches aren't slapping us in the face in the fall. Then came Narada Falls cascading in a horsetail over the cliff. After admiring Narada and dodging the tourists' lenses, we continued our descent through the woods. In the meadows, I had noticed the cascade asters and pearly everlasting remained in bloom. In the forest, many of the flowers were gone, but the green undergrowth still remained and and appeared richer at the end of the growing season rather than fading.

Lunch was eaten at Paradise River Camp that is very clean, but I assume rarely camped in, so close to Longmire. There were a few berries here lower in the forest and Kristi noted that the ones in the upper meadow were much sweeter. At some point, I stubded my toe and slowed my pace a little. It's the third hike in a row that I've done that. Maybe I should really watch where I put my feet, but sometimes the wonders around me keep me distracted. Even in a forest where your views are blocked by trees, I can find the growth and patterns of the trees fascinating. Or I'll be looking for the last remnants of the previous season, a sign that this season is in full swing, or an omen for the next. What I got was a talus slope across the river filled with oranges, reds & yellows of turning vine maples, one of the first plants to herald in autumn.

All too soon, we reached the Nisqually River and after crossing, meandered into our camp at CougerRock. A few hours later Joannie & Bobby showed up for a well-earned meal and a rousing game of Yahtzee. Michael & I are almost done with our Wonderland adventure. Next year we will come off the trail knowing we had accomplished something wonderful.