With Fran working all weekend, I took the girls to explore the southeast side of Mt. Ranier National Park. This trip was classic "last minute" planning by me, but we certainly had luck on our side. Beautiful weather and a comfortable condo at White Pass Ski Resort, nothing fancy, but just right for us (more on that later). Our first day we headed into the park to the Grove of the Patriarchs. A long clarification ensued with Erin re: what exactly is a patriarch, and what does that have to do with some 1,000-year-old trees. This 1.5 mile walk to an island in the middle of a mountain stream is one of my new favorites. We have to bring Fran back to experience it. So peaceful, and no Ewoks. We were in and out by morning snacktime, so had the loop mostly to ourselves.
This was the entrance to the trail. Erin did a great job hiking. Nora rode in the frame pack she has nearly outgrown, and was able to give me a scalp massage most of the way.
I've
never seen the giant redwoods in California, but the trees on this
small island were absolutely spectacular. I think the girls thought so
too.
Erin inherited Mom's photography skills! She snapped this rare picture of me using the "big camera", do I look nervous? (don't drop it, don't drop it...).
This cool foot bridge sways and creaks as you walk over it. Crystal clear water below, and cold!
My little hikers... and Nora hamming it up. Now back to the ranch...
The photo above just about captures the essence of a weekend with Dad. Pizza and milk food groups covered. The living room of our small condo is below. As soon as we got in, Erin cracked me up with this little exchange:
Erin: Dad! I found a book about this place! And its got a map of Mt. Ranier!!
Me (seeing her rifling through the bedside table): Erin, that's the Bible... (and taking a closer look...) and that's a map of Jerusalem.
Ah, our heathen children. God bless 'em.
To say the bunk beds were a hit would be an understatement. Here's the fort Erin made for the 'kitties'. Hours of meowing...
This morning we explored Sunrise, the highest spot you can drive to in the park, ~6400 ft I think on the eastern slope of Ranier. I like this location even more than Paradise, which we discovered with Grandpa and Grandma last year.
Erin's impression of the size of Ranier, up close. Not sure how the hiked-up shorts fit in, but they're there too. Huge wedgie.
The drive up to Sunrise was stunning. But here's where the panthers and lava come in. Erin has some very particular things she's curious about (I don't think they're quite phobias, but close). One is the Titanic sinking, another happens to be panthers. I think this stems from one of the Little House on the Prairie books where a panther drops out of a tree and mauls one of Pa's relatives.
Anyway, we're driving through the woods and Erin asks if there are any panthers. I say no. (Fran later points out that a cougar is also known as a panther, so answer probably should be 'yes') Then we cross a small bridge over a stream and I pull over right after to stretch our legs. We're right in front of a sign identifying the landmark as 'Panther Creek'! Erin goes bonkers.
Lightning struck twice a little later on. In our car discussions, Erin learned that Mt. Ranier is a (sort of) active volcano. She peppered me with questions like "Will it erupt now?", "What do we do if it erupts?", "Can cars drive faster than lava?", etc. I try to reassure her that we're safe, there are scientists monitoring for signs of an eruption all the time (Erin's follow-up question: "But when do they go to the bathroom?"), and the mountain will not explode. We all felt better until we walk into the visitor center at Sunrise and the whole exhibit is about mudslides triggered by eruptions that bury cities, molten hot boulders shot out of volcanoes like cannonballs, and surrounding cities' emergency plans for evacuation when Ranier erupts. Great.
Sunrise is surrounded by alpine meadows, and there were wildflowers all over though this photo doesn't do them justice. After a hike, we ate lunch at the Sunrise Lodge (below) and capped off the morning with some ice cream. 'Sharing' had been working all weekend, but Erin had to draw the line somewhere! Before Nora could get too many spoonfuls, Erin gulped down the majority and learned about karma via an ice cream headache.
