Glacier Vista

This morning we drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park and hiked up to Glacier Vista in the snow, 2.8 miles round trip with 1,035 ft gain. The views were fabulous and we saw several marmots and two mountain goats in the distance.

We only saw a few people on our hike up, we would see many more on our way back down. Behind us is a fabulous view of the Tatoosh Peaks and behind them, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens

A douglas squirrel and chipmunk sharing a rock

some of the marmots we saw this morning

View of Mt Rainier from the end of Glacier Vista, we were at 6,550 ft of altitude

This is my favorite "short" hike, hiking up with Mt Rainier in sight, then hiking down with these marvelous views of the Tatoosh Peaks and beyond.

zoom of the Goat Rocks behind the Tatoosh

zoom of Mt Hood behind Pinnacle Peak in the Tatoosh

zoom of Mt Adams behind the Tatoosh

zoom of Mt St Helens behind the Tatoosh

Glacier Vista Snowshoe

I drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park to hike/snowshoe up to Glacier Vista. This was 3 miles round trip with 1,000 ft of gain. Gorgeous day with great views. For about the first mile, I followed the route that heads up to Panorama Point carrying my snowshoes.

Once I turned off the packed trail to head up to Glacier Vista, I was breaking trail in snowshoes, sinking about 6-12".

view of Mt Rainier from where I stopped (going further had a risk of cornice)

View looking back along my tracks to the Tatoosh Range and some volcanic peaks

Looking back towards Mt Rainier after heading a short ways down.

I love heading down into these marvelous mountain views!

zoom of the Goat Rocks

Another look back along my different route down the mountain 

some animal tracks in the snow

Another view of Mt Rainier and my tracks beside the animal tracks

I love taking my time on this short trail, so beautiful!

Mt Adams, the Castle, Pinnacle Peak and Mt Hood

zoom of Mt Adams

zoom of Mt Hood

zoom of Mt St Helens

more views as I continue down towards the parking area:

Glacier Vista and Myrtle Falls

Drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park on this beautiful day. The trail up to Panorama Point was well packed and I was able to use my micro spikes, until I left the packed trail and broke trail over to Glacier Vista. I later snowshoed down along the ridge and then went over to Myrtle Falls. Overall about 3.5 miles with 1,000 ft of gain. There weren't very many people on the mountain today. Well packed trail near the parking area at Paradise.

Some of the trees had icicles on them.

Amazing to think that in a couple of months these trees will be buried in snow.

Looking over towards Mt Rainier as I book trail going over to Glacier Vista.

Looking back at my solitary prints and the view of Mt Adams and Mt St Helens beyond the Tatoosh Range.

zoom of Mt St Helens

zoom of Mt Adams

View of Mt Rainier from Glacier Vista

wide angle view at Glacier Vista

Another view of the Tatoosh and my lonely prints further up the trail.

Looking more to the southeast and the Goat Rocks and Mt Adams beyond the Tatoosh.

zoom of the Goat Rocks

some icy trees

a frozen boulder and Panorama Point above

I took a different route down, staying up on the ridge for a while, my footprints and a look back at Mt Rainier.

Fun to break trail in beautiful fresh snow!

I saw lots of these prints up on the ridge, they led to under the boulder, perhaps they are marmot prints.

Another view of the Tatoosh Range, I love hiking/snowshoeing down with this view in sight.

Another look back, before joining the Panorama Point Trail again.

View of Mt Rainier as the trail nears Myrtle Falls

Myrtle Falls

Snow covered Edith Creek above Myrtle Falls

View of the Tatoosh on hiking down from Myrtle Falls to the parking area.