Posts
Sorry for such a lengthy reprieve away from the site guys, but sometimes life just throws a curve ball at ya. During this last month I have been helping my mom with preparations for major surgery. Please keep her in your prayers, as this is a very unsettling time for us all.
As if things couldn't possibly get any worse, on May 26th I was involved in a car accident that will leave me without my precious Ford Focus for close to a month. Luckily, no one was hurt, and I only sustained minor whiplash injuries -- which have since cleared up. Thankfully, no one's car was totalled either. However, this accident sure has put a damper on my summer plans.
All hope is not lost yet, though! The good news is...THE LODGE IS OPEN AT PARADISE! YAY! And Ginger and I were able to make it out to Mt. Rainier for a quick visit to Christine Falls in late May. We tried to make it all the way up to VanTrump Park and Comet Falls, but it was still too early in the season, and far too much snow on the trails. Around the 2.0 mile marker of the hike we were facing trekking knee deep in snow, so we decided to turn back and try again another day.
(Ginger on the snow covered bridge over Christine Falls)
About a week later (and on a much nicer day), we revisited Rampart Ridge, and this time we brought along a few extra friends. Ginger's good friend Samantha, and one of our favorite co-workers, Alanna, jumped at the chance to spend some time in the good ol' outdoors. As you can imagine, the ride up to Mt. Rainier consisted of chatty gals, large bursts of laughter, and not to mention goofy faces! :)
(Don't mess with Ginger. She's hardcore!)
Once in the Longmire Complex, we gathered our gear out of the trunk, and Sam and Alanna found bebe guns in Ginger's car. After careful consideration, they decided they were a necessity on the trail and packed them the entire 4.8 miles -- which I thought was hysterical!
(It's Lara Croft Tomb Raider!!!....no wait. That's just Sam)
(Alanna is BA when she's strapped with a lethal bebe gun)
After finally setting foot on the trail, we huffed and puffed our way up the winding switchbacks, stopping to take photo-ops, and take in the scenery. Ginger and I could've swore the switchbacks were way easier last time we attempted Rampart, but maybe it was all in our head. We took a quick snack break on the large boulders near the end of the switchbacks to devour our gummy bears, before setting off for the last uphill stretch to the viewpoint. There we stopped to eat lunch, chat, take in the stunning views, and snap pictures of the valley and Eagle Peak before heading down the Wonderland side of the trail. Too bad the clouds obscured the view of the mountain, otherwise we would've had majestic photos of Mt. Rainier. We even stopped along the backside of the ridge to take a "Boy Band" picture!!! Quick, everyone look away dramatically!
To end it all, we jammed just about all of the 2,000 calories we lost on our hike back down our throats at McDonald's -- I know, how's that for an oxymoron?! What matters is, we had a total blast, and I think it's safe to say, it won't be the last time something like this happens. ;) Check out the video below for even more footage of our amazing hike!
0 comments:
Post a Comment