Tell me about Mt. Rainier (Seattle, Federal Way: ski resort, hotel, camping)

[PG77]

One word - Awesome!

[team_evans]

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

I was on the 18 today driving from Federal Way to Issaquah, and my goodness the mountain looked amazing!! It was breathtaking!!

V. =)

Ok, I have to help you out here. If you go to Washington and say "I was on the 18," everyone will know you're from California. You have to say "I was on 18," or "I was on hwy 18," with no "the."

Hearing "the I-5" or "the 405" is a dead giveaway. Native Washingtonians sometimes roll their eyes at Californian arrivals (in a good-natured way, of course) so you'll have to work on your "passing" skills

[MichaelinWA]

Off topic, but putting "the" in front of a highway number is more of a Southern Californian thing, from what I've observed.

Norcal folks tend not to do that. They'll say that "traffic on 880 is horrible this morning," for example.

Nobody says "the I-5," though. In Los Angeles, it would simply be "the 5" or "the Santa Ana."

Originally Posted by team_evans

Hearing "the I-5" or "the 405" is a dead giveaway. Native Washingtonians sometimes roll their eyes at Californian arrivals (in a good-natured way, of course) so you'll have to work on your "passing" skills

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by MichaelinWA

Off topic, but putting "the" in front of a highway number is more of a Southern Californian thing, from what I've observed.

Norcal folks tend not to do that. They'll say that "traffic on 880 is horrible this morning," for example.

Nobody says "the I-5," though. In Los Angeles, it would simply be "the 5" or "the Santa Ana."

I have noticed that too. I have cousins in Southern CA, and in Northern, CA and they tell me the same thing...

[Beenaroundabit]

I know the NPS ranger at Mt. Rainier NP who does most of their ski instruction - lots of cross country with an emphasis on back country and telemark skills. Guy gets paid to ski - I hate him .

I was at the wind farm in Ellensburg last Thursday and could see both Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker at the same time, which was pretty cool. It's also nice to see Rainier as you drive along East Lake Sammamish Parkway into Issaquah (note: not "the East Lake Sammamish Parkway"... ).

[VeronikaW]

Yep definitely a SoCal thing, when I moved to NoCal, they told me that was a dead give away that I wasn't from there.

V. =)

[kanhawk]

If you do decide to go up I suggest late summer or early fall after all the snow has melted, except the glaciers of course. I was up there a few days ago and even at Paradise which is only 5400' in elevation there was a lot of snow on the ground. You couldn't hike any trails. Pick a nice clear day in August or September, there are usually quite a few at that time, and head on up. The trails will be clear then and you can take nice hikes around at that time.

[sean98125]

Originally Posted by Beenaroundabit

I was at the wind farm in Ellensburg last Thursday and could see both Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker at the same time, which was pretty cool. ).

Are you sure you weren't seeing Glacier Peak? It's between where you were and Mount Baker.

[sean98125]

If you go to Mt. Rainier in the summer time, take a day off work and go on a weekday. Or leave Seattle early enough to get to the park entrance by 9:00 if you are going on a weekend or holiday.

Take your time to walk the nature trails and to learn about how the mountain got there, how people have enjoyed and used it over the years, and how the mountain is always changing. And also how catastrophic those changes can be. The park is still recovering from and mitigating the damage from the torrential rains that came a couple of years ago.

Remember that Mount Rainier isn't a theme park. You will be standing on the slope of a barely-dormant volcano that is geologically unstable. As a tourist destination it is unsurpassed in our area, though, and you could spend a lifetime exploring the mountain.

There is a book called "Measure of a Mountain" that came out about ten years ago that is a pretty good introduction. Read the book before you go, and you'll see the mountain in a whole different and knowing way.

[Beenaroundabit]

Are you sure you weren't seeing Glacier Peak? It's between where you were and Mount Baker.

It very well could have been; thanks for the clarification (I am easily confused - obviously ).