This one is a little gem. Arrived to White River campground around 10:30 am, solar intensity already in full effect.. Approx. 10 spots left in the big lot on the left when you pull into the campground.  Lots of climbers prepping gear in the parking lot.  Trail meanders up the side mountain at a gentle, but sweat inducing pitch. Many mossy creeks and small waterfalls are passed on the way up making for a fairytale ascent. Mountain Hemlock gives one a feeling of walking amongst ents.. Stunning views of the mountain dominate the sky each time theres a break in the trees, which is frequent.  Pink monkey flowers, paintbrush, and Sitka valerian popping alongside the trail. Pass through the bucolic campground into the Glacier basin and watch climbers ant-march up the ridges and snow fields, and ate lunch while the white river ambled below, fed by cascading falls in the distance.  On the descent, took the spur trail towards Emmons glacier, which was well worth the added 45 minutes...  Bugs not too terrible, but annoying if one happens to halt marching and tarry for too long in a spot without a swift mountain breeze...

My original itinerary was to summit Steamboat Prow, then descend to Camp Schurman, traverse Emmons Glacier to Camp Curtis, and finally reach Glacier Basin Trail via Mount Ruth. However, my plans were thwarted by low clouds that covered the area at elevations between 6500 and 9000 feet, resulting in white-out conditions throughout the day.

I started my climb in the Basin at 10 AM, but the heavy fog made it difficult to navigate. I relied on GPS to stay on track as my sense of direction was disrupted. Despite the challenging conditions, I made my way towards the right ridge of Inter-Glacier. The lower snow levels were soft, and my footprints were not visible, but I followed a glissade track to reach the steepest section. At around 7000 to 8000 feet, the sky briefly cleared and offered a glimpse of blue sky, before disappearing once more behind the clouds. The tracks of other climbers became more distinct and easier to follow at this elevation. I finally arrived at Camp Curtis and made my way up the Steamboat Prow ridge. The view was, as always, a rewarding experience.

I took a 45-minute break for rest and lunch and observed the clouds rolling over Emmons Glacier. With safety being my top priority, I bid farewell to Camp Schurmans and Mount Ruth. Let's head back home. (The location of the descending party can be seen in the photo below).

I descended Inter-Glacier without hesitation. The visibility soon diminished, turning into a white-out. I utilized the glissade technique for 60% of the route and encountered two teams of climbers, totaling 20 individuals, on the ascent.

To avoid crowds, I adopt the strategy of arriving early. I departed from the White River Campground, filled with the scent of smoky BBQ, at 7:20 AM, reaching the summit of Steamboat Prow at 12:45 PM. I returned to the parking lot by 4:30 PM.

The camp is mostly snow free with the exception of a couple of sites. Most of the trail is snow free apart from a couple of little snow fields after the bifurcation to sunrise. Should be passable for anyone. That said, people please stay on the trail even if the trail has some snow on it it’s an inconvenience I know but killing the plants at the meadow it’s worse. Take your time, just don’t go off trail to avoid the snow.
Finally this is an amazing trail not crowded, not too difficult and with plenty of scenery and opportunities to learn about geology and the ice age. Bugs were ok not a problem. Plenty of facilities at the th. There was parking even at my return at 1;30 and when I arrived around 8:30. Also there were reports and actual sightings of a bear. So make noise, apparently the bear is afraid of humans so you should be fine as long as you announce your presence. Take care!

A lovely wide trail located at the end of the White River Campground, loop D, makes for easy parking and quick access to bathroom amenities. 

You'll find the parking fills quickly however so the earlier the better. 

We headed a bit beyond the backcountry camp up the climbers route. There are plenty of opportunities for water along the way. Past the camp, the terrain turns steeper in the heat here. We ambled back behind the backcountry sites to the small lake for a nice reflection and to ponder the scenery.

Keep your eyes open for wildlife. We stumbled upon a younger bear in the shrubs, a marmot who intercepted us, frogs in the pond and a few chipmunks.

A truly beautiful day on the Sunrise side of Mt. Rainier.

Road is completely paved. Started at White River CG, to Glacier Basin, up to the Burroughs, then to Fremont Lookout and back down to car. 

Trail to Glacier Basin is basically snow free. Lovely trail, saw a bear right before the basin. Cute and unbothered by us. Saw a decent number of people, including some climber groups headed up to summit.

Sunset trail connecting to the Burroughs trail is pleasant. Good workout but nothing crazy. 99% snow free. One 100ft patch of snow toward the top that requires some kick stepping (poles were helpful). 

The last mile or so to 3rd Burroughs is snow covered. Soft enough to not require spikes. Not too much postholing as there were some previous bootpaths. Even though the last bit was a little more steep, nothing appeared dangerous.

From 2nd Burroughs on everything was essentially snow free. To the lookout was very pleasant. Great views, definitely the most popular part of the trail. The ranger and his lady friend in the lookout were unnecessarily barring people from entering. People came out here and hiked specifically to see the lookout and they were shutting the door and telling everyone "they weren't allowed" just so they could lay inside and read their Kindle.

Trail back to Sunrise was nice and easy. I waited at the visitor center while boyfriend jogged down part of the Wonderland trail to grab the car. Overall a great day with plenty of wildlife.