Summerland

Last Sunday I went to one of the most beautiful places on the planet, known as Summerland. The weather was hot (it was the beginning of our recent heat wave) and the trail was steep but the result was well worth the trouble as you can see by the picture. There are more pictures here. The trailhead is near the bottom of the road to Sunrise in Mt Rainier National Park and winds through old growth forest for a couple of miles until you break out into the alpine meadows with wildflowers and streams all around. The trail follows Fryingpan Creek and there are lots of rapids and waterfalls to enjoy along the way. The overall elevation gain is 2200 feet over a little more than four miles but most of the gain is in the last mile or two with countless switchbacks on steep slopes. Needless to say, it was hot going and, although I kept drinking, I'm sure I was somewhat dehydrated when we got to our destination.
But... what a view! Huge meadows covered with wildflowers, streams, marmots, and the incredible mass of Rainier looming to the west along with Little Tahoma and other peaks I couldn't name. There were a few people around but not enough to spoil the experience.
On the way back down I got even more dehydrated but a post-hike stop in Greenwater for a huckleberry milkshake set me right up again.
This was a hike I won't soon forget.