Puyallup, Gobblers Knob — Wednesday, Jul. 25, 2001

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise

We drove toward the Longmire entrance of MRNP. East of Ashford, we looked for a left turn to FS road 59, but the sign was down, so we got all the way to the park and had to turn back to find the road, not marked from that side either, but there was a sign about 50 feet off the main road. Road 59 is gravel, in good condition. We drove 8 miles to trailhead and followed Trail 248 down and up, past Beljica bogs, to Goat Lake, and beyond to boundary of park. Many, many mosquitos in this leg of trip. Within the park, we came to steep open meadows with fabulous flowers; However, the trail was in terrible condition, narrow, overgrown, and crumbling at the downhill edge. (Two of our party fell when the edge gave way beneath their boots.) Once in the trees again, the trail was fine. The trail to the lookout is well-marked and in excellent condition, and lots fewer bugs over there. View was fantastic. When we got back to our cars, we found official notes on the windshields thanking us for having permits. If the government can afford to send someone to check permits at a trailhead 8 miles from the main road, why can't they hire someone to put up signs marking that road'