Hiking Spray Park
June 12, 2005
We set out intending to scramble some of the peaks that cluster near Mowich Lake in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park. But when we arrived at the trailhead in dense fog and were greated by freezing rain, we decided that slippery rocks aren't as fun as keeping both feet on the ground while hiking. So we opted for a walk out to Spray Park, an area we visited in September 2003 en route to a terrific scramble up Observation Rock.
Spray Park is roughly 2.6 miles from the Mowich Lake Trailhead. There's plenty of lovely wandering in the park, so you should definitely plan a longer hike. Unlike our last visit, when the meadows were desiccated at the end of a dry summer and our eyes stung from the smoke of nearby forest fires, Spray Park was still blanketed under about 2 feet of snow, some of which had fallen the previous night, and some of which was still falling.
It felt good to be out tromping in the snow and we reconciled ourselves to hiking for sake of hiking. And then the clouds lifted to reveal Mount Rainier in full glory. It's easy to forget just how stunning Rainier can be until you see it close enough to consider the big glaciers and jagged rock formations on its flanks. Spectacular. And the blue-sky and sunshine cast everything into sharper relief: the snow-encrusted spruce trees, the sub-alpine parkland, and the ridge of low peaks that we would have scrambled if the morning had been like this.
We will definitely be back.
Ahh, summer in the Pacific Northwest. Eric poses in the freezing rain at the Mowich Lake campground and trailhead.
A cascade along the trail to Spray Park.
Jill wrinkles her nose at a little reminder of home sweet Minnesota.
Eric tries to enjoy his lunch.
Finding the smaller beauties that are worth appreciating when the big views are absent.
We were hoping for some early-season wildflowers at Spray Park. We suppose this qualifies.
Jill celebrates Mount Rainier's unexpected arrival!
This is what the mountain looks like to Jill, who wears rose-colored glasses (really).
A man and his mountain.
Observation Rock, one of our all-time favorite scrambles is the triangular rock and snow formation in the center left of this photo, just above the trees.
A last look at the mountain.
Our only wildlife sighting of the day came in the car just after we left the trailhead. These hoary marmots were engaged in a long-running game that was part sumo wrestling, part swing dancing, and part full-body hugging. Marmots are viscious and, like wolves, are rightly considered "man's natural enemy."
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