2013.8.2I got up at 5am. My plan was to drive to the Tipsoo Lake to take pictures of Mt. Rainier’s reflection at sunrise. I sticked to my plan although there was no sign that the clouds would go away. Certainly, they didn’t and they were thicker than the previous day. I still drove to WA-410 and WA-123 fork, very close to the Tipsoo Lake. I really couldn’t see anything. I had to give up. At Lower elevation, it’s just a cloudy day. I returned to Ohanapecosh campground and took some pictures of the river under the bridge.
We checked out of our lodge at 9:30. We drove to the Paradise area through Stevens Canyon Rd. About half way between WA-123 fork and Paradise, there is stone bridge right in front of a tunnel. We made a stop there. The area is called Box Canyon. Under the bridge, the gorge is like a narrow and deep slice, the raging water is far below the bridge. The Box Canyon Loop a short hike that take no more than 15 minutes. The air was so humid (we were in the cloud) that it seemed one can squeeze water out of it. The fog gave the view a touch of desolation.
It’s still too early to get a room when we reached Paradise Inn. We knew the lodge has almost 100 years of history, but what we saw still impressed us very much. The lobby (The Great Hall) is huge and inviting. There are two fireplace and a lot of chairs for guests to enjoy this wonderful construction. We had a lunch at the restaurants and set off to explore the hiking trails of Paradise area. We walked Skyline Trail toward Myrtle Falls. Crossed the bridge, we kept on Golden Gate Trail for another half a mile.
We returned to Paradise Inn and checked into our room. My wife decided to stay in the room and I’d have a hike by myself. I took the opposite direction of Skyline Trail, detoured on Alta Vista Trail and turned back through Deadhorse Creek Trail. It’s a nice day for hiking but difficult for photography. Dewdrops hung on every petal, but I could hardly take pictures on any flower 20 feet away.
I walked for one and a half hour and retired to our hotel. Nothing beat the feeling of sitting in the cozy and warm lodge, watching the gloomy weather outside and having a cold beer after a long walk.
