Glacier Vista Snowshoe

Beautiful, but very cold up at Paradise in Mt Rainier National Park. We did a leisurely snowshoe, taking lots of photos and enjoying the views. From the upper parking area, we hiked up to Glacier Vista along the route towards Panorama Point, heading over Glacier Vista, then returning down via Deadhorse Creek Basin. We saw very few people along Deadhorse Creek Basin, most of the time we were alone on these slopes. Overall we did 2.5 miles with 1,100 ft of gain.

View of Mt Rainier from just above the sledding area at Paradise. The snow was well packed down.

Some of the trees were covered in icicles.

Part way up, we turned around to this marvelous view of the Tattoosh Range (Mt Adams and Mt St Helens in the far distance)











Nearing Glacier Vista













Up here, besides Mt Adams and Mt St Helens, we could also see Mt Hood in Oregon.

Wide angle view of Mt Rainier from Glacier Vista

On the way down, our route took us closer to the edge of the ridge over the Nisqually Glacier Valley. This was our view for the majority of the way snowshoeing back down.

Lovely wind swept cornices.

We found this secluded spot between two small hills where we took a lunch break out of the wind.

More icicle covered trees

Very few people head out west of the Visitor Center, but this was our view of Mt Rainier and

of the Tatoosh Range so close to the road and the Visitor Center.

On our drive down to Longmire, we stopped to enjoy the partially frozen Christine Falls. View from the side of the road.

Lower Christine Falls from the short path next to the parking turn out.