Nisqually Vista Loop, Glacier Vista Snowshoe, Alta Vista Loop & Myrtle Falls — Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022

Low avalanche danger and perfect weather made today a great day for my yearly Rainier snow hike. I had snowshoes but ended up being too lazy to put them on... There are many solid bootpaths to most of the popular destinations, and if you stay on them you can manage in just boots, or microspikes. I put on spikes at the beginning of the day and just never took them off, but I did see people without them. If you want to blaze your own trail, snowshoes will definitely make it easier, though I never post-holed more than ankle deep the few times I veered from previous paths.  

Mostly I was just noodling around, taking pictures and enjoying the day... Started off going to Nisqually Vista (easy, not much climb, but doesn't have as sweeping of views as up towards Panorama Point), then loosely followed Dead Horse Creek (I think?), then up towards Glacier Vista. I was being paranoid about time so I didn't make it all the way up there. Skipped Panorama Point this time... just didn't have the energy. Started down towards Alta Vista, then realized I had enough extra time to check out Myrtle Falls, so I heel plunged a little down to Skyline trail, checked out the falls (a little water flowing!) and took Skyline back to Paradise. The loop I did was only about 4.5 miles. My energy levels are still pretty low, but I'm doing what I can.

The roads were bare until Longmire, after that there was some packed snow/ice (mostly in the morning). I saw a bunch of signs saying chains required on all but AWD vehicles with "approved traction tires" and they did ask me if I had chains at the park entrance. I had tire socks in the trunk but my AWD subaru was fine without them today. The gate at Longmire closes at 4pm, and the ranger I spoke to recommended leaving Paradise between 3-3:30 to get down in time and not get locked in. I left at 3:10 and had plenty of time.

Also, just wanna say that weekday hiking is the bomb... I definitely saw fewer than twenty people (spaced out) ALL DAY. Which was nuts. Nice weekends at Paradise are a total zoo.

 Also, also, sunscreen + eye protection are mandatory on sunny days unless you want to hurt yourself! It was so nice out today that I was just in a base and mid layer.. no jacket, and only glove liners! ☀️