Arrived at White River Campground at 9am. Construction on 410: chip sealing 7 mile stretch today and on 19th: 5 minutes stopped for one way traffic both days. Short line(5 cars) at about 8:30am to show/buy a pass.
Few spots left in day use lot, cars parked on the road.
I saw all ages on this trail. So well groomed, most of the early part is flat without rocks and roots. One mile to the Emmons Moraine Trail with Purple Penstamon lining the trail. Just after the Emmons Trail the variety of flowers explodes and there is a nice photo op of a small rushing mountain stream with Rainier in the back round and a place to sit. Very shaded hike for being on Rainier. Openings to take good photos. Somewhere was a stream that walking on rocks was needed about 8 steps, pretty easy to do without getting your feet wet.
There were only 3 patches of snow that I had to take 10 steps in, to get to Galcier Basin Camp. Lots of snow melting creates patches of mud that aren't that bad.
Bugs on the trail but none were biting until GB Camp.
I went up to 6,500' to the Inter Glacier which was not hard, but some of the trail was a stream.
Very sunny all day.
Comments