In February, Paula and I did a repeat of our snowshoe weekend. We spent two nights at Mount Rainier over the President’s Day holiday. It was glorious!
Last year, the road up to Paradise was closed the entire time we were there, due to avalanche danger and rain. This year, we were able to drive up to Paradise and snowshoe up there! We got up early and headed up early, driving up just after the road opened. We were the first ones out on most of the snowshoe trail, and had the opportunity to snowshoe through fresh, unbroken snow!
That morning, we hiked out under a partly cloudy sky, with a spectacular view of Mount Rainier! It was so beautiful! We took lots of photos and selfies, because when you grow up around mountains, you know that the mountain isn’t always out, and you take advantage of the view when you can get it. I love seeing this view!
We snowshoed out a bit further in the fresh snow, and on our way back noticed that Mount Rainier was now obscured by the clouds. We were lucky to have gotten out there when we did – there is a benefit to being the early bird!
That afternoon, we snowshoed around the Trail of the Shadows, an easy 1 mile flat loop trail. I love it because it takes you by an old turn of the century cabin, originally built by the Longmire family, as well as remnants of the old mineral baths – they were advertised as having healing properties, if you could stand to soak in the sulfur smelling waters.
We renewed our ritual of sitting on the porch to drink spiked hot chocolate and wine, and also had a good time working on a new puzzle in the game room and making new friends. We had grass-fed burgers and blackberry cobbler. Both were to die for!
We were sitting on the porch just after they closed the gate to Paradise at 6 pm, and Paula spotted a critter making his way near the road. We watched him trot across the road and realized it was a fox! It was too dark and we were too far away for photos, but he was so adorably cute from afar! This may be the first time I’ve ever seen a fox in the wild too! Our room this year overlooked the road in the front of the hotel – it is so pretty there!
I certainly hope that we continue this tradition, either just the two of us or with other friends as well! It was so much fun!
Wine and History Visited 