While it was great that all of our linens were still in Yakima - the most memorable part of the day for me, was the full day of exploring Mt. Rainier we got to experience on our way back up, up, the mountainous roads.
The pullout that we'd blazed by the day before so we could get to the campsite before dark, where the kids had begged for us to stop so they could go play in the snow, was much easier to navigate at 8:00 AM before the parking lot filled up and we weren't hauling an Airstream.
So we pulled over, everyone spilled out of the car, and the seven of us trekked around this amazing space that felt like a winter wonderland ... in June.
Best of all, we had the entire place to ourselves.
We've swam in glacial meltwater rivers, but all agree that we have never touched water this cold.
It was FRIGID!
So many options for GREAT Christmas photos.
By the way ... our Christmas cards which I wrote over Thanksgiving weekend and ordered on December 1st are STILL NOT HERE.
They were supposed to be delivered between 12/8 and 12/12.
On our around 12/15, Charlie called USPS, and then Shutterfly, and was on hold for nearly two hours.
During that time, he folded all the laundry and cleaned our garage from top to bottom.
Someone finally came on the line and when Charlie mentioned that he was calling about an order his wife had placed, they told him I needed to be the one to place the call. Because I was on a conference call at that exact moment, they told him to try again and disconnected. On 12/23, we received a notice that the cards were in Grapevine, Texas.
My disbelief that our cards would not be here in time for Christmas, despite all of my pre-planning and best efforts, was much like the disbelief that Elizabeth feels that try as she might, she will never be as tall as her sister.
So we must simply accept and embrace the things we cannot change with grace.
ISN'T IT SO WONDERFUL FOR THESE ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITIES THE UNIVERSE GIVES US TO PRACTICE PATIENCE AND PEACE?
The only thing more fun than sledding down a hill and in to your sister holding a massive snowball she intends to nail you with...
Is sledding down that hill with your wet dog in your lap.
And off we go...
Whee! How do I get out of this??
We left the summit and drove back in to the National Park, stopping to take a picture beneath the sign that we'd also missed the day before.
Seeing as we did not yet have a trailer lock, we were feeling immense gratitude that Quarantinny was in the same space we'd left her four hours earlier when we took off to get the laundry in Yakima. By the time we dropped off our linens and took a walk to a glacial river that cut through our campsite, it wasn't even yet noon.
With the long summer hours, we had a full day of fun still before us.
Henry set up camp next to a wood debris pile, searching for the perfect walking stick.
While Charlie and I plopped ourselves down on the sand, sorting through rocks that we would bring back for our collection.
For more than 20 years, we've collected small rocks / shells / sea glass from our various travels and will fill a local beer bottle with the material. It's a nice way to enjoy a local brew, while also serving as a great reminder of the geology of the area. But, we don't collect rocks and drink beer every where we go; we'd need to have a room dedicated to bottles if we did! Each destination has to be truly "Bottle Worthy."
Mt. Rainier definitely made the cut.
Oh, but there was more to the day!
We took off for a drive to check out the park, and found some spectacular hiking trails, through massive redwood forests.
I double dog dare you to walk inside there....
It's unbelievable to me how tall these children are growing; my once three pound preemies. William and Carolyn both tower over Elizabeth, who feels like a peanut around the two of them.
Nope, sorry, you're still not any taller.
Let's check again in another two hours.
We saw a lot of evidence of wild animals in the area, including trees that were scraped clean of bark from hungry black bears looking for a grub snack.
Wait ... did someone say BEAR? Where's bunny??
Even though Elizabeth is the fastest in the family and could easily outrun all of us, including Ollie, the idea of encountering a bear in the wild is not on her bucket list. The idea of bears terrifies her.
But not Henry.
Whaddup bear?
You want a piece of this?!?!
Around this time, we saw a fellow hiker who was in the backcountry with her three-year-old; they had planned to spend the night - but when they heard that there was a lot of bear activity in the area, they thought it would be safer to try another location. It always inspires me to see people bringing their kids in to nature like this ... THIS is how you grow a love of the outdoors and adventure in people.
Start 'em young!
We drove to another part of the park along the White River, where we could see the splendor of Mt. Rainier in the background.
The kids were dozing in the car when I jumped out and ran down the embankment to snap off this picture. As I was standing by the river, I heard a BLOOD-CURDLING scream, unlike anything I'd ever heard before, come from the car. Charlie had jumped out and was screaming at me to GET UP THE HILL IMMEDIATELY. Apparently, Elizabeth had spotted a 500-pound bear on the other side of the river that was lumbering directly towards me.
The children were all screaming, "MOM, RUN!!!" My blood instantly ran ice cold and I felt panic rising in me. Was this overwhelming sensation a feeling to scream? Vomit? Run? Pass out? I was tempted to run up the steep embankment, but then figured with my luck and at this elevation, I'd twist an ankle, fall down, and be lunch. Despite my husband and children all yelling at me, I turned around and trying to maintain some composure, looked behind me.
Straining my eyes I scanned the trees.... and saw nothing. Either my family scared away the predator that was stalking me, or Elizabeth was seeing things. (I think more likely the latter.)
William and Charlie who had both barreled down the hill to rescue me, looked around and declaring the area clear of bears - we posed for a picture.
I'M ALIVE!!
CHEESE!
This area is definitely not a place to trifle with; it can be extremely hazardous. Not only are there actual bears roaming the forests, the weather can turn on a dime. There are multiple people that are lost, many perish, within this park, every year. Not to mention, geologically, the area is no joke.
I've done a lot of camping and have never seen a sign like this one before....
Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and is likely to erupt within the next century - if not sooner. The glacial ice would produce lahars (mud flows composed of water, volcanic debris, and rocks) that would flood the river valleys and threaten the Puyallup Valley. Suffice to say, while I truly loved this area, and would love to come back, I don't think I'd build a house here.
Henry with his walking sticks and assurance, "Don't worry Mom, if a bear comes around I'll protect you! WHACK BAM POP SLAM KA-POW!"
We had such a wonderful time together, what started out as a huge inconvenience, wound up becoming one of our greatest days.
Once we calmed Elizabeth down, we were able to coax her out of the car and take a few more photos.
We love you, sweetheart and promise to call the optometrist as soon as we get home...
You're going to look so cute in glasses!
