Glacier Basin — Friday, Aug. 16, 2013

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River

I have been hearing about this trail since WTA volunteers and NPS employees put in years of work to restore and improve it after the 2006 floods. It is AMAZING!!! As if the wildflowers, ripe berries, stunning scenery, artifacts left over from mining days, and intrepid climbers sharing the trail are not enough, there are many examples of textbook trail building here. Wide, outsloped, bridged, and turnpike to perfection, the trail hugs the lands contours and beguiles hikers to the heart of glacier basin. Pics of our hike, which goes a bit beyond the maintained trail and a tiny ways on the Emmons Moraine Trail, are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51278183@N05/sets/72157635112932697/. If you camp at White River Campground, you can hike Glacier Basin right from your campsite, trail starts in D loop. We didn’t see any bears (common here) but were treated to a mountain goat grazing right across the river from our lunch spot. Wildflowers are slightly past peak, but berries are profuse, and you will still see lots of purple aster, mouse-on-a-stick (pasque flower), paintbrush, yarrow, bog gentian, bog orchid, and many others. I didn't think the bugs were bad - zero mosquitoes and a few deer flies. Maybe we lucked out and missed their busy season!