Mount Rainier Road Trip

[IntoTheVoid]

I traveled to WA state this past Memorial weekend to visit my sisters family. My brother-in-law Tracy has been my partner in crime for the past decade.
They live in a town called Enumclaw which is located 20 miles north of Mt Rainier.

I learned Thursday that they had just opened the passes in the park for the holiday weekend. Saturday in the early am, Tracy and I took off on a road trip to Mt Rainier National Park....The snow was deep.

Cayuse Pass elevation is 4,675 feet and Chinook pass is 5,430 feet.

This is the view at sunrise from my bed that I have from the bedroom I stay in at my sister.

Chinook Creek.

Chinook Pass and East entrance. Notice the avalanche in this first pic, its up on the slope. There was plenty of avalanche warning signs post on the roads. Did I mention deep snow?

Looking at the 14,411 foot beast. Whitman, Emmons, and Frypan glacier as seen.

Not really allowed to 4wheel in the park but we did find a nice little dirt road to take a break on.

 

[Clemsonfan15]

Looks like a fun trip with great scenery.

 

[toy cruzr]

Oh yes Enumscratch where the men are men and the horses are scared. JUST KIDDING. Mount Rainier is cool I live maybe an hour away. Cool pics.

 

[IntoTheVoid]

Oh yes Enumscratch where the men are men and the horses are scared. JUST KIDDING. Mount Rainier is cool I live maybe an hour away. Cool pics.

OMG! You know about the horse story too! You know they made a law in WA because of it. :lmao:

 

[Rock Slide]

Snow?? It's almost June...you suck.

Great pics BTW. I'm jealous.

 

[david_ray320]

Looks like y'all had a fun trip! Oregon is a beautiful place. On my list of places to move to after graduation.

 

[IntoTheVoid]

Here is a few more pictures of Mt Rainier up close and personal.

These pictures I posted of Mt Rainier and Chinook Pass are a once a year picture of this view looking west because the road was just opened. The snow melts pretty fast this time of year so everyday the view changes.

I took the pictures on Saturday the 23rd around noon and the road opened the day before, the 22nd, at noon.

The road is closed all winter, Dec 15 2008, and every year on Memorial weekend, WSDOT tries to get the pass open. I mean they go all out! Blasting, Snow Blowers and Dozers start working on the road in April. Avalanche danger halts the work constantly.

Here is a link on what it takes to get the pass open.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/Chinook/

Enjoy the pictures and wish you were here.

 

[alaskaman]

Thanks for posting those great pics. Appreciated. had not seen up close and personal the big R.

 

[DavidAlexander]

Really nice pics. Keep up the adventures.:biggrin2: