I took my 12yo son on the skyline loop counterclockwise, which is my strongly preferred direction. This way there is a quick reward at Myrtle Falls, moderate climb to van Trump monument for lunch (watch out for the aggressive squirrels), a strong push up past Golden Gate, and still onward to Panorama Point. Then the tired out kid can just put one foot in front of the other for the solidly downhill return to the parking lot at Paradise.
All the frustrating bits are true: parking at Paradise is now a total nightmare (lot almost full at 7:30am), get off the meadows, stop feeding the wildlife, don’t approach bears for photo ops (no joke), please yield to uphill climbers, the trail is insanely busy on weekends, and pick up your trash.
But as usual, the mountain is gorgeous, most everyone is well-behaved, the changing seasons a miracle to watch. I love Rainier and I’m glad people can see such wonders.
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