An absolutely gorgeous summer day to take this hike! The sun was in full force & temps probably reached 75+. I parked in one of the lots by the ranger bunkhouses as the bridge over the river was closed. Helpful signs by the construction fence directed me toward the alternate trail access--a wee walk down the rd. & down the riverbank where log bridges are in place to safely carry one across. Once on the rd. on the other side, the TH is 300 ft. to the left, just before the fence.
I headed up the gradual incline of the switchbacks, enjoying the canopy of shade & jingling my keys to mimic dogs' tags to fend off any bears or cougars. The last time I was on this trail was 10/98. @ that time fog/low-hanging clouds & ice pellets greeted us but nevertheless we were determined to reach the saddle. So ever since then I've been meaning to do it on a day when I can actually see the fruits of my labor.
I encountered a few blow-downs, but nothing impassable. Most of the route through the trees was quiet after rising high enough above the rush of the river. I actually didn't see anyone else until ~2.5-3 mi. About that time is when the bees & flies as large as hornets decided to have me for lunch, making me wish I had bathed in repellent before venturing up. Once in the open meadows, I had to pause to inhale the beauty of the wildflowers & snowy cliffs above. The trail here is much more narrow & rocky yet still intact, save for a few shortcuts people have made that I wonder whether will eventually erode large sections of trail. About 1/2way up the meadows I turned around to gasp @ the sight of St. Helens, then instinctively looked to the left to see Adams. There they both were in full sun, though a little haze prevented one from seeing fine detail of the glaciers.
The remaining climb was hot & pretty buggy, where I did see another party making their way down. A few min. later I reached the saddle & the giant white Rainier sent goosebumps over my exhausted self. I collapsed on some shady rock & took a few pics, snacked, then bounced around on some other rocks for add'l pics of St. Helens & Adams. I checked out the beginning of the trail up Eagle Pk., not really intending on going up it since my guidebk. had warned of high chance of death. I just wanted to see how scary it looked, & I was too tired to be ambitious anyway.
After maybe an hr.(?)--my cell phone had no signal which means no clock--I had absorbed enough of Nature's glory to last me until next weekend, and I headed down. I swear the same bugs that were circling & biting & itching on the way up had patiently awaited my descent & had me for dessert 1/2way down. I met considerably more hikers on the trek back, most in groups as opposed to solo like me. Once back into the shade where it was more level, I picked up the pace a bit, egged on by ubiquitous insects. By the time I reached the river, my muscles were sore but my mind refreshed, as is usual after the euphoria of an awesome hike.