#38: Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier was the second of three national parks in Washington that we visited. After our ever-so-eventful experience at Olympic, I decided to drive Rainier and not worry about seeking out hikes. Numerous stressors were/are in the air: Addie's health, lack of mobile service, trouble finding campsites, and a fussy water heater in the Airstream. I didn't need one more thing to worry about, which was navigating Rainier's hiking situation (specifically with Addie, who is not allowed on trails).

Camping options around Mount Rainier were scarce. All the park campgrounds were reserved, and the only first-come, first-serve camping choice is tent-only. One of the most troubling factors was the lack of mobile service as I got into the area. I rely on apps to find camping, but obviously, apps are useless with no signal.

I spent a while driving to a few places I researched but couldn’t locate. I then had to go back into a service area to look up other options. Around dusk, I spotted some RVs through some trees off the main road. I turned around and took the first turn into the woods. This was lucky. It was a dispersed camping area that was annoyingly busy, but I could back into a spot between trees that worked - at least for one night. I would get up the next morning to find a more suitable place.

My stress level curbed some when I landed at La Wis Wis National Forest Campground. However, my stress level inflated again when I backed the Airstream into a post while settling into a spot. Not only did I back it up over the post, but also when I pulled forward trying to get it off (it was a short post just at the height of the bumper), a section of the bumper wholly detached. Awesome.

I was laughing at this point. This little mishap was nothing unfixable. I used duct tape to reattach what I could, and I went on with my day. We hiked around the campground area a little and hung out by the river.

After grieving the loss of the Airstream’s back bumper, Addie and I made our way to Mount Rainier National Park in the afternoon. Like many other national parks, there are multiple entrances.

I knew I wanted to get to the Sunrise section, which at the peak, is the highest point reachable by vehicle within the park. The road getting up to Sunrise, Sunrise Park Road, is only accessible in the warmer months, and as you drive up, you can’t resist pulling over at multiple points to take in the views.

The scenery from the top took my breath away. In my opinion, I was there at the best time of year, and the weather that day couldn’t have been any more perfect. Addie and I got some much-needed solitude up there, proving to us that you don’t always need to hike a park to get a lot out of it.

After a second night at La Wis Wis Campground, the next stop was to the park's Paradise section. The different areas provide various views of Mount Rainier. It's such a beautiful sight, though, so it never gets old.

At this time, not only did we have external issues with the Airstream (missing bumper), but we also had internal problems. My Truma water heater continued acting up. Sometimes it would work, and other times it wouldn’t. Since I had been dry camping for weeks by now, my next camping spot would need to have electrical hookups so I could troubleshoot.

Onward and upward towards Seattle, then to North Cascades National Park. In the back of my mind, I knew of the Airstream dealership in Seattle, so if I needed to, I could potentially get some help with the Truma there. I also needed to figure out how to fix the bumper. 

Homeownership (eye roll)...