Mazama Ridge Loop Snowshoe

Returned to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park to do a loop hike over Mazmaa Ridge with a side trip along part of the Paradise Glacier Trail. 5.6 miles with 1,500 ft total elevation gain. I only saw 3 other snowshoers along my hike.
On the way to Mt Rainier National ParkI saw a herd of elk, They were on each side of the highway.

From Paradise, I  snowshoed down the closed Paradise Road to 4th Crossing. View of Paradise Valley, and cloud covered Tatoosh.

Sun trying to break through the clouds as I headed up Mazama Ridge from 4th Crossing. From the road at 4th Crossing to my high point of the Paradise Glacier trail was a gain of 900+ feet.

View of Mt Rainier from Mazama Ridge, with some frosty trees.












Up along the Paradise Glacier, I like to go up a small hill at 6232 ft. I was up here by myself. There were a couple of older ski tracks, but I broke trail up to this hill.

Cornices over Stevens Canyon

Some tall frosty trees

Clouds rising above the Tatoosh as I headed back towards Mazama Ridge, following my tracks from this morning.

Views of the Tatoosh got better as I continued down Mazama Ridge. There were lots of tracks going down Mazama Ridge, with the trail well packed.

Some nice views of Rainier as the trail continued down.

I so enjoyed this route staying high on Mazama Ridge with views for some time

When the route descended into the forest, there were some occassional views of Rainier.

Once this route dropped down to Inspiration Saddle, it joined the marked route from Narada Falls to Reflection Lakes and a trail up to Paradise. I turned to the marked route that we take me up to Paradise on the trail.

some more views of Rainier along the way.

a view of Eagle Peak

The Paradise River is mostly covered in snow.
From where the marked trail splits down to Narada Falls or up to Paradise, I headed up to Paradise.

There is a 600 ft gain in 0.8 mile up to Paradise.

As the trail gains elevation, there was a view of the Tatoosh.

And back at Paradise, the trail emerges near the Paradise Inn.

Gray jay sitting on a car roof in the parking lot.









Saw a fox in a road turnout below Paradise.

The route I took today is in purple, the red route is the summer Skyline trail.