This trail can really lull you into a false sense of security. It starts out as a wide, flat meander through the woods but gets much steeper once you cross Kautz Creek.
There is still quite a bit of snow at Mt. Rainier. The trail basically disappeared in the snow when I got to the top of all the switchbacks. Thought about turning around, but it was early in the day, the weather was good, and I had everything I needed for a little bushwhack/navigation. Eventually I found my way to cabin. Yay! Coming back was another adventure. I met up with another party at the cabin doing a thru hike from the other direction and we decided to descend together. We got a little confused for about 45 minutes around the flat area near Mt. Ararat trying to find our way back down to Kautz Creek. Eventually we figured it out. Definitely recommend map reading skills for this one for at least another couple of weeks.
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