Made It!

Dawn seeps through a thousand cracks in the Washington night sky, sluicing over the stately shoulders of the monarch of the Northwest. A gauzy veil of clouds swirls across the sky, protests, and lifts reluctantly. A bold shaft of sun pierces the lingering mists, crowning Her Majesty with a golden tiara of light. An impossibly bright sky pours out a perfect curve of blue. Morning bursts upon Mount Rainier, unwinding like a bolt of spun silk: strong, smooth, and sapphire. Daylight quickly drapes its glory over the Mountain and the shimmering waters of Reflection Lakes, today’s hiking destination for me and my family at Washington's famed Mount Rainier National Park.

At 4,856 feet, Reflections Lakes is probably the single most famous spot in the park. Chances are good that if you’ve seen only one photo of the Mountain, it’s from Reflections Lakes. This idyllic scene ranks near the top of Rainier’s day-use hit parade, so we arrive at the lakes early. Once we’re out of the parking lot on this June day, however, we don’t run into another sole or soul on the High Lakes Trail, an old favorite.

Out on the trail we pass “whu-humphing” blue grouse and panhandling chipmunks, photograph an outrageous hillside of avalanche lilies, take a gander at Artist’s Pool, a small tarn, and chug over to Faraway Rock. It’s a 500 foot drop off the precipitous cliff edge of Faraway Rock to the lakes, but this secluded chunk of Northwest real estate hosts a to-die-for view. Louise Lake and Reflection Lakes skip and bob far below. We take in most of Stevens Canyon, the snow-dotted spines of the Tattoosh Range and rugged Castle Rock. We can see into Oregon without squinting! Snacks, water, pix, and we’re off, chugging uphill like a herd of turtles.

Scraps of snow cling to our Itascas. Higher up and further in, the snow piles into stubborn drifts. The trail vanishes like Lewis Carroll's inimitable White Rabbit down a hole. Alice-like, we chase after the path through Wonderland—to no avail. The High Lakes Trail is unmarked and lost, submerged under eight feet of snow. Mom and Josiah urge turning back to terra cognita. Undaunted, Dad, Nathan and Sam are gung-ho to “heave-ho” and press on. Family conference.

Make no mistake. Magnificent and jaw-dropping in its feral splendor, Mount Rainier National Park is still wild. Inherently dangerous. It is NO place to get lost. But as Chris cheerfully explains, “We’re not lost. We just can’t find the trail. We’ll make our own.” And we do. (Kids, don’t try this at home!)

We have some distinct advantages that many day hikers in Rainier lack. We’re prepared with proper gear, we carry the 10 Essentials, and we're familiar with this trail. We know the country and its landmarks. We carry a compass, topo map, First Aid kit, and enough food and water to choke a camel. Additionally, Chris has a couple “aces up his sleeve”: well-oiled land navigation and mountain warfare training skills. We also have all day. Good thing.

After roaming around the hinterlands awhile, Chris shepherds the clan steadily downhill, following game trails. We know that game trails eventually lead to water – and Reflection Lakes. So do the ten tons of snow melt mushifying beneath our boots. We consult compass and map and concentrate on Castle Rock, just above Reflection Lakes and due south. We head doggedly down.

Slips and tumbles are inevitable on this rough, uneven terrain. Chris takes a header nose-first into a tree hollow obscured by snow. We all slip and fall at least once. No one is hurt. A four mile hike stretches into 6, 7, and 8 as we crunch over snow, scramble over boulders as big as Porsches, scamper over downed logs that could double as skyscraper girders, and ford streams swollen with melting snow. One more bend and Reflection Lakes hove into view.

Early evening has not yet begun to seep through a thousand cracks in the afternoon sky, and we’ve made it! In more ways than one.

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Story ID:	2639
Written by:	Kristine L. (bio, link, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Only Here
Location:	-- --
Year:	2007