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Leaving Rainier and Biking in Bellingham
I know it’s been a while since my last post! I’m going to continue telling you about my trip to the PNW. Next up: the final day at Rainier National Park and arriving in Seattle! For the final morning in Ashford, my sister and I drove back into the park and made another trip up to Paradise. It was a bit cooler and a little more cloud but we could still see the mountain! On the way back down, we stopped for a little hike to Carter Falls. Part of the trail crosses over Paradise River and offered spectacular views of Rainier. After the hike, we drove ~2 hrs to…
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Hiking Rampart Ridge and Exploring Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park
We arrived to Mount Rainier National Park early, as we heard the entrance could get crowded. I was doubtful it would be crowded this time of year! Half of the park was still closed for the winter. At the lower elevations, though, the sun was shining and everything was GREEN! We parked at the Wilderness Information Center at the Longmire Entrance to the park. We asked one of the Rangers what hike would be best to do, and she suggested the Rampart Ridge Trail, which was connected to the Trail of Shadows. Trail of Shadows was an easy little hike through the forest around a pristine meadow, which offered a…
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Exploring Columbia River Gorge
For the next leg of my PNW trip, my sister and I drove from Mount Hood to Columbia River Gorge. We stopped at Multnomah Falls, the Bridge of the Gods, a Sturgeon Fish Hatchery, and then had lunch at Broder Ost in Hood River. We did have a long drive ahead of us, as we were on our way to our next stop: Mount Rainier in Washington. We drove about halfway to Ashford, Washington, where our air BNB was when we had to turn around and find an alternate route due to road closures. I had wanted to take a scenic route through the Cascades, but the remote roads were…