Mount Rainier National Park: Sunrise

On the afternoon of Monday, July 31, 2023, Andy, Kathrin, Sean, and I continued our daylong visit to Mount Rainer National Park. We had just completed a wonderful hike and had eaten lunch on the trail. For the afternoon, we decided to go up to Sunrise on the Mountain’s northeast side. Then some would head home and others of us would continue to hang out in Seattle.

The Sunrise area is one of the Park’s fee areas with an entrance station. Since it was midday, we were prepared for a wait to get in. Once the Sunrise parking area fills up, the Park Service lets one car in for each car that goes out. So we settled in for a wait. This was the final season before reservations were needed to get into the Sunrise and Paradise areas of Mount Rainier National Park.

My Mother had had a medical procedure that morning. While not an emergency, it had been unexpected and urgent. I was already in Washington State when we found out that she had to have it. My Dad had texted, so we called him back on speaker in the car so that we could all hear. Her procedure had gone well, and her prognosis was good. We four could breathe a sigh of relief with my Dad and enjoy the rest of our afternoon.

I think my favorite part of our almost hourlong wait was the other people. Folks literally left their cars for smoke breaks or to walk up the line and give the Park Service a piece of their minds. We were astonished when the car in front of us turned and got out of line when we were only four cars from the front.

We just chilled and listened to Enya.

Then up we went!

The road to Sunrise was…definitely terrifying at times. But we made it up.

Sunrise, at 6,400 feet, is the highest point in the Park that visitors can drive to. And it is about 1,000 feet higher than where we’d hiked that morning. Here the Mountain looms huge, filling the southwesterly view.

We used the restrooms and checked out the Visitor Center.

Sean and I stamped our Passports to Our National Parks. We bought our books and souvenirs. The woman behind me in line seemed annoyed that I was “wasting” the Ranger’s time with questions about amphibian IDs. The annoyed woman wanted to ask about hikes. Oh well. The Ranger and I were having fun geeking out about amphibians.

Afterward, we strolled over to Emmons View, where we could take in the enormity of Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the Lower 48.

Emmons Glacier’s terminus and the very beginning of the White River

The White River is fed by Emmons Glacier. Eventually the White River runs into the Puyallup River (which begins at the Puyallup Glacier on the Mountain’s west side) and then through downtown Tacoma and into Puget Sound.

With that, it was time to head back to Seattle.

We did make a quick stop at Sunrise Point, near the top of the terrifying road, so I could snap a few shots.

Back at the townhouse on Lake Union, Dan had arrived. It was nice for Andy and Sean to have a touch of overlap with him.

That evening we all went to dinner in Ballard with Malia.

Next morning, Tuesday, August 1, 2023, I drove Sean and Andy to SEA-TAC for their flights. Goodbye, guys!

Afterward, Dan and I went and grabbed a bite, and then I had work calls.

Later, we met up with Kathrin at Green Lake for a walk and a picnic supper. It was a beautiful evening.

Sean had made it home without incident, and he sent a photo of Elsa, who was very happy to see him.

Andy, however, was not as lucky. The non-TSA Precheck security lines at SEA-TAC were so egregious that he would have missed his flight had it not been delayed. Apparently, the end of the security line was in the parking garage across from the terminal.

But his flight was delayed, and delayed, and delayed, and delayed. Finally he made the call to rebook for the next morning. It was good that he did because then his original flight was simply canceled, but he had already secured his alternate.

So Dan and I went and fetched him from SEA-TAC and then we got turned around down by the docks on the way back to the townhouse. Don’t ask.

Next morning, Wednesday, August 2, 2023, we tried again. I got Andy to SEA-TAC super early. Goodbye again, Andy!

This time he made it home to Detroit without incident.

I had an eight-meeting day.

Afterward, Dan and I went to dinner at Dreamland and then strolled around Fremont before chilling on the roof of the townhouse. Angela had arrived, but she was going to spend the night at Malia’s.

Next morning, Thursday, August 3, 2023, Dan and I met up with Malia and Angela for brunch at Sophie in Ballard. Then we went back to the townhouse to watch the Blue Angels practice from the the roof.

Uhh…

Later we met up with Malia’s Sean at Palisades in Queen Anne for dinner, which was splendid.

Meanwhile, back at home in Chicago, Elsa was apparently losing her mind because I wasn’t there.

Next day, Friday, August 4, 2023, Angela, Dan, and I had an adventure. After I had an early morning meeting about an organizational rebrand, we three hopped in the car and headed to the Whidbey Island Ferry. Basically, we were doing the same route that Patrick and I had done on the way to Bellingham, but instead we were making a day of it.

After crossing, we drove to South Whidbey State Park and hiked down to the beach.

We even braved the destroyed staircase. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Across a narrow straight, the Olympic Mountains loomed.

After exploring the beach for a bit, we braved an ascent of the stairs and headed back through the coastal forest to the parking area.

Olympic National Park across Admiralty Bay

Next stop was Driftwood Park on the shores of Admiralty Bay. This was now my third visit to this scenic spot.

Continuing on, we stopped for a lunch of surprisingly yummy Mexican food in the tiny touristy town of Coupeville. We had a north/northeasterly view of Mount Baker commanding the horizon.

Olympic National Park across the Strait of Juan de Fuca

After a quick stop at West Beach County Park, we continued on to Deception Pass.

We stretched our legs with a hike to the top of Goose Rock, with some nice views south, southeast across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Peninsula.

Then we headed back to Seattle, listening to The Memory Palace on the way. This was also the day that a car plummeted from the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. It fell 200 feet and landed in a tree, and the passengers needed to be rescued, but no one died. Dan saw the news in while we were on our way back, and we were astounded. And I was glad that my terrifying mountain roads were coming to a close for that summer.

That night we hit Ballard Brewery with Malia and Sean with dinner from the food truck version of Off the Rez.

Next day, Saturday, August 5, 2023, was Angela’s birthday. It was overcast, but not rainy, so we just chilled out in Fremont.

James and Kathrin joined us for a lunch of phở. Then Malia joined us for day drinking back at the townhouse. I gave a bunch of the leftover food to Malia and Kathrin.