Paradise at Mt. Rainier NP

On the final push to Mt. Rainier we drove through White Pass and the Wenatchee National Forest. This drive was stunning and a bit of a white-knuckler as we drove on the edge of big rocky cliffs and through mountain tunnels. The evidence of volcanic processes was clear in the rocks; columnar basalt was topped by a contrasting layer of stratified basalt. There were few cars on the road and the region was sparsely populated despite beautiful lakes, amazing trout rivers, campgrounds, hiking trails, and picnic areas at every turn.  As we rounded another curve we gasped as Mt. Rainier came into view.

 

Campers in Glacier NP had recommended that we camp at Cougar Rock Campground on the Paradise side of the mountain, and when we arrived, we were delighted to find a fantastic site among towering trees and fallen logs, the absolute best playground for the girls.



The south side of the mountain earned the name Paradise when an early visitor proclaimed the alpine meadows full of wildflowers to be truly a paradise. From Paradise Valley one has fantastic views of the many glaciers surrounding the crest of this 14,411 foot tall mountain. In fact, there are better glaciers here than in Glacier NP.

During our visit to the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center, we learned an interesting piece of Mt. Rainier history about the first woman to summit the mountain in 1890. At the age of 17 Fay Fuller fell in love with Mt. Rainier and dreamed some day of summiting. Of course this was at a time when women didn't dare to dream such things, much less do them. She had plenty of experience hiking all over the mountain, and when she was 20 years old she finally convinced a climbing party to allow her to join them. Determined to climb to the top on her own, she carried all her supplies and even manufactured a primitive pair of climbing boots by using boys shoes with nails driven through the soles to serve as crampons for the icy portions. Fay was successful and never took a helping hand from any of the men in her climbing party.

We celebrate achievements like this today for women and men but in 1890 the response was not supportive. Fay was fired from her job as a school teacher for A) wearing a scandalous climbing outfit that included a not-quite full length dress with pants underneath, and B) spending the night with a climbing party of men at the top of the mountain unchaperoned. Fortunately, not everyone felt the same way. Many Washingtonians wanted to know more about this adventurous young woman, and she was given a weekly column in a Tacoma newspaper where she championed mountain climbing for women. What an inspiration for our family during our visit and throughout our mountain travels.

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For the rest of our Rainier pictures, click here.