Karen and Tom Wanderings

In a bit of an unusual twist for us, we had a non-hiking commitment during the latter part of the hiking season ... a friend's son's wedding in the wine country of northern California.  So, instead making a quick trip of it, we took the opportunity to drive down and check out the northern California coast.  In both directions, we spent a day powering through Washington and Oregon on the interstate, then took our time once in California.  On the southbound trip, we spent a few days checking out the giant redwoods ... via drives and hikes, mostly in the Redwood State and National Parks.  Very impressive, and pretty magical walking through forests of these giants.  Even the "pedestrian" trees were damn big, and those in the "notable" groves were simply massive.  We also managed to explore a couple of nice beaches along the route. After the wedding, we met up with Karen's sister and hiked in Mt Tam State Park, a bit north of San Francisco.  As we were gett...

Another week, another NW mountain adventure, and another visit to Mt Rainier National Park.  "Weren't you just there, like multiple times?", you might be asking.  Yes, but nope!  The variety of ecosystems, terrain, and mountain views within the park are amazing.  And add to this the changing seasons and weather, and it's almost limitless.  This time, we headed to Summerland, on the eastern flank of the mountain, and a long-time bucket-list destination for Tom.  His persistence once again scored him a highly-sought-after backcountry permit.  It's popularity is likely related to it's proximity to the high-point of the Wonderland Trail, and it's relatively easy access from the nearest trailhead.   We purposely got a leisurely start on the first day, since we only needed a few hours to get to camp.  The trail makes its way through big-tree forest, then uphill, eventually breaking out into big glorious meadows just before Summerland.  So...

After numerous day hikes of increasing intensity, it was time for some backpacking.  Being retired, we avoid weekends (and the associated hordes) like the plague.  So, what was Tom doing backpacking on Labor Day weekend?  Well, Mt Rainier's backcountry permit system strictly limits the number of people staying overnight, and most permits are reserved in advance.  The reservation process has moved online, which gives people with the time and inclination the ability to frequently check availability.  Cancellations occur, so Tom picked up a Saturday night reservation for Golden Lakes.  Karen was invited, but opted out. Golden Lakes is located on the Wonderland Trail towards the northern end of the western side of Mt. Rainier.  This side of the mountain has very limited access, since the dirt road that extended about halfway up the west side from the south was permanently closed in the 1990s.  Some 40 years ago, Tom had backpacked to Golden Lakes from...