Panorama Point Snowshoe, Glacier Vista Snowshoe & Trail of the Shadows — Sunday, Mar. 5, 2023

After comparing the conditions at Rainier to those up by Mt. Baker, we chose to snowshoe at Paradise. The road was icy in spots, but we luckily had AWD and did not need chains. We arrived at the Lingmire gate before it opened, and got to have a bonus hike around Trail of the Shadows. Peaceful and a great way to warm up and test out gear. 
The sky was clear and bright blue by the time we arrived at the Paradise lot. We had planned to snowshoe to Panorama Point, but after talking to a ranger and considering the limitations of our group’s avalanche preparedness, opted to end at Glacier Vista instead. Snowshoes seemed necessary - the snow was powdery and over  ten feet deep. Encountered plenty of skiers and snowshoes on the trail- it’s not the spot for a solitary experience- but didn’t feel crowded. Views in every direction were incredible for nearly the whole way up. We lunched at Glacier Vista and were reminded that sitting in the wind is much colder than snowshoeing uphill. Recommend lots of layers. By the time we started heading down, snow was falling, the sky has turned grey, and soon the top of Tahoma was no longer visible. It was a little difficult to choose the correct route because of all the footpaths hikers had created, but I never felt in danger of truly getting lost. Great way to spend a sunny winter day!