We started the day with another slower morning, with Dad and I heading out early to run errands, and everyone else sleeping in.
Breakfast
Dad and I drove down the road to Rainier BaseCamp, a collection of mountaineering services in Ashford. After stopping in the Whittaker Mountaineering gear store for a brief look around, we walked over to the cafe at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse for breakfast. Dad got a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich, which was pre-fab, but still tasted pretty good. We also got two drip coffees (they were just fine) and a mocha for Faith. Meanwhile, Faith made some pancakes for her and Walker back at the cabin.
County Park
After rendezvousing at the cabin and finishing our breakfast, we headed out for the day. First we drove to Ashford County Park, the local (and seemingly seldom-used) park with a very nice swing set and other amenities. Walker played for a while, and really enjoyed all the different activities. It was nice that they had some things geared towards younger kids.
Pottery
Back in “downtown” Ashford, we arrived at Ashford Creek Pottery right as they opened for the day. Several sources I’d read highly recommended this local pottery shop, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint. They had many neat, locally-made crafts, and some interesting history about the area. The upstairs is an art gallery showcasing a variety of paintings, photographs, and more. We really liked the pattern of Mt. Rainier and the trees, but they didn’t have anything smaller available; however, the owner said he might be able to ship us something if we called about it once the next batch came out of the kiln.
Scenic Railroad
From the pottery store, we drove 10 minutes west to Elbe, WA (population 39) for the main attraction of the morning: Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. This historic train ride winds through the forest and across the Nisqually River, turns around at their service depot, and then returns to Elbe.
Here are some pictures from the excursion:
The views were beautiful and we occasionally got some views of Mt. Rainier as the train passed through the clearings. There were beautiful wildflowers, farmsteads, and meadows along the way.
All the staff were very friendly, and we enjoyed the ride. It was definitely not as exciting as our train ride in Colorado last fall, but still a fun way to spend the morning.
Elbe General Store
Back at the depot, we took some time to regroup and find the restrooms. The local assisted living facility had their weekly group outing at the railroad, so it required quite the wait for Mom to get off the train using the ramp/lift. During the delay, I walked across the street to browse in the Elbe General Store, ordered a cappuccino, and took a work-related phone call.
Rainier BaseCamp
Before we left the depot, we placed an online order for lunch from Rainier BaseCamp Bar & Grill, the counterpart to Whittaker’s Bunkhouse. Mom and I each got a chicken Caesar wrap; Dad ordered a turkey bacon ranch on wheat; and Faith got a BLT on sourdough. The lunch combos each came with chips, a chocolate chip cookie, and a colossal dill pickle.
On our way to pick up lunch, we saw a roadside stand selling locally-grown cherries, specifically Rainier and Bing varieties. We’d been wanting to try some, but the only other stand we’d seen was also selling an odd combo of local art and PB&J sandwiches, so we were a little skeptical. This stand was much less sketchy and less expensive, so we got a small bag of the fruit.
Rainier Base Camp
Ashford, WA
Nice staff, solid food, and a neat environment. We ate there three times in one day, so I guess it’s pretty good!
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Our lunch was very good, and the cherries were surprisingly great! I don’t particularly love cherries (because they typically taste like cough syrup), but these tasted more like plums and were perfectly sweet.
Pottery
Faith and I were having anti-buyer’s remorse because we didn’t get a mug from the pottery store, so after lunch, we swung back by so I could run inside and grab one. It’s the one with the mountain goat (previously pictured), if you’re curious.
Paradise
We returned to Paradise, and decided we’d do another hike or two to close out our time at Mt. Rainier, plus take a closer look at some of the waterfalls we skimmed over yesterday. First, Faith and I decided we’d do a longer hike while Mom and Dad stayed with Walker in the historic Paradise Inn. Mindful that many of the trails were still covered with snow, we consulted with a ranger, chose a more accessible trail, and began our climb towards the mountain. We chose the Alta Vista hike, with the intention of carrying on to Glacier Vista or Panorama Point if conditions allowed.
It was still quite hot, but the heat wave was subsiding, and temperatures were more bearable than on previous days. The beginning of the hike requires a fairly steep ascent from the Paradise parking lot, so steep in fact that the trail is paved. We continued through Rainier’s famous alpine wildflower meadows, and began to follow the ridge towards the mountain.
We ran into a few snowbanks, but nothing too bad before we reached the Alta Vista viewpoint. The snow was a great way to cool down!
Soon, the trail became much more treacherous; it was completely covered in snow in many places, including some steep sections. We both felt pretty unstable without our hiking poles, so we decided to to turn around and head back before we got all the way to Glacier Vista.
On our way back down to the Inn, marmots and chipmunks interrupted our hike several times.
We took a slightly different route downhill, which turned out to be a non-ideal decision, since it required navigating another handful of snowy patches. But, we did get different views on the other side of the ridge.
Completing our 5+ mile hike, we successfully made it back to the Paradise Inn without a single wipeout. We refilled our waters, grabbed a few snacks from the cafe, and loaded back into the van. While we were gone, Walker had been having a blast crawling around/on the furniture in the Inn, particularly an oversized wooden chair in the lobby. Dad also gave him a full scenic tour of the area in his stroller.
Driving down Paradise Valley Road, we stopped at a handful of waterfalls to get a closer look, since we had more time than yesterday.
Narada Falls
At Narada Falls, we stopped again, this time for Faith and I to do the steep hike down the viewing platform.
Even More Falls
We wound down the valley, stopping again at Christine Falls to further explore them as well.
We drove across the Nisqually River, and stopped at the Carter Falls trailhead to attempt to squeeze in one more short hike to end our day. Dad and I walked down the trail, which crossed the Nisqually River on a log bridge. While the river looked somewhat small from above, we realized it was a torrent of rushing water once we saw it up close.
Across the river, I ran up the trail to try to reach the falls, but soon realized it was much farther than our audio guide had led us to believe. I turned around and ran back, making it back to the river crossing. After catching my breath, I headed down the slope to cross back over the bridge. Unfortunately, my shoes slipped on a “glacier flour”-coated rock, and I took a pretty hard fall, landing hard on my elbow and knee, and chipping the corner of my camera body. I carefully limped back across the bridge and rejoined everyone else at the car.
Longmire
Continuing our drive downhill, we stopped at the National Park Inn at Longmire, the only part of the park that is open year-round. We’d thought about eating dinner in the hotel’s dining room, but prices were exorbitantly high, so we decided to just stop in the general store, enjoy the view from the front porch, and then move on.
Cabin // Unsuccessful Ordering
We arrived back at the cabin and began attempting to order takeout for dinner from somewhere. However, it seemed all of our options were closed. We even tried to repeat eating at our lunch spot, Rainier BaseCamp, but they had already stopped taking online orders for the night, and their phone went straight to voicemail.
Coordination
Making a daring move, I thought we could make it to Rainier BaseCamp to try to place an order in-person before they closed. So, Dad and I literally ran back out of the cabin and drove down the road to the grill. I successfully got an order in, and the staff even remembered me from our lunch order. While I waited on the food, Dad walked to the Bunkhouse and waited for my signal. Once I knew the food was almost ready, he ordered four cups of huckleberry ice cream to take with us.
Back at the cabin, we threw the ice cream in the freezer and then sat down to eat our hot food. Dad and I split a mushroom Swiss burger and a salmon burger; Faith got a cheeseburger; and Mom got a grilled cheese. All the food was very good, and we were grateful to have it!
Since it was our last night, we spent the rest of the evening organizing, packing, and cleaning out the rental car.
Video
Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “the Alta Vista hike”.
The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream”.
Faith
The best thing I saw today was… “Alta Vista”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the cheeseburger”.
Jerry
The best thing I saw today was… “strolling Walker around at Paradise Inn and the hike to the Nisqually River”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the turkey bacon club”.
Amy
The best thing I saw today was… “the inside of Paradise Inn”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the chicken Caesar wrap”.
Conclusion
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Tomorrow, we’re leaving Mt. Rainier, heading south to explore a different volcano, and then taking a very late red-eye flight home.
– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker
4 Responses
I enjoyed the train ride very much! I wish we had a video of the reversible seats!
Also, this second day at Paradise/Mt Ranier will be one of my favorite memories.
Amazed at all your excursions. Making sure wonderful memories!
WOW!!! ISAAC, HOW ABOUT TAKING SOME PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS TO GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF “EVERYTHING” YOU GUYS ENCOUNTERED!!! 😂👏👏👏👏
SO MUCH ENJOYED THE TRAIN RIDE AND EVERY BITE OF FOOD WITH YOU GUYS! MADE ME GLAD YOU COULD GO BUT SAD LYNNE AND I CAN NO LONGER TAKE DAY TRIPS! SO, READING THESE ARE SUCH A BLESSING, THANK YOU!
The train ride sounds exciting, and the scenery is beautiful!
Enjoyed seeing the waterfalls and the critters.
Glad I’m seeing it through your eyes/photos.