In need of fresh air, I decided to head to Mount Rainier in Washington, a 12 hours drive from Santa Clara. I left early on a Friday morning under the rain...
The drive was tricky with a lot of fog, rain, and snow as I was going further north. Arrived at Mont-Rainier the weather became even worse. Tire-chains were required for non-AWD vehicles for the road to Paradise.
The forecast for the next day was as foggy and rainy than the first day. I decided to hike at a lower altitude to Comet Falls trails, a nice walk along a small river and numerous waterfalls. The sun even appeared a few minutes at the end of the day!
And finally on my last day there, the sky was clear! I didn't have my snow shoes so I decided to try the Skyline trail for as long as possible. I turned back when I began to hike in one meter deep of fresh snow...
There, I tried different trails until finding the one going to Panorama Point where I met a nice ranger in love with the mountain. She was 80 and was hiking as she was 20 while giving numerous explanations about the wildlife, it was incredible!
This 2000 miles journey was very welcome and allowed me to discover amazing local people fond of their land and gorgeous landscapes. Escaping from California was definitively a good idea!
