Mabel Was Not So Smart

Randle, Washington         High 84 Low 55

We finally got the warm weather. In fact it was almost too warm to sleep well. Today was hot compared to what we had got used to on the coast.

We wanted to drive to Mt. Rainier National Park. We picked a good day for it. When we left Randle it was about 75. When we got to the Visitor Center, it was only 69 degrees. When we got back to the RV Park it was 84 degrees.

After we entered the Park, we got to see several waterfalls and several glimpses of the Mountain. At first there were lots of clouds around the summit, but as we drove on, we finally got to see the top of the mountain. We got to see lots of snow drifts along the highway into the Park. Some of the creeks and rivers had glacier fed water running in them and some were cleaner from the snow melt.

 There are also several small lakes on the way to the Visitors Center.

This lake was called Reflection Lake. Anybody know why?

As we drove along we got to see several other rugged looking mountains. Mt. Rainier is totally snow covered. The parking lot had lots of water running onto it from all the snow melting. When we got to the Visitor Center, the clouds had obscured the top. We took several different pictures of the Mountain so you can see the difference in the cloud cover.

 These next pictures off of the Paradise Inn which was built in 1917, 99 years ago. It is on the National Historic Registry.

At the Visitor Center we watched a movie that told that the mountain is high enough that it creates its own weather. The warm moisture filled air hits the glaciers and snow pack which causes fog and then rain.

When we left, we decided to go back to our RV Park a different way than what we had driven in on. I finally made it to the highway leading back to Packwood and Mabel, my GPS, seemed alright at first. But as we got closer to Packwood, she had me turn off the main highway, to a secondary highway, FS-47, that was only one lane for most of it. And about a mile and a half in, she told me to turn on an unpaved road. She kept going from bad road to worse road and finally to an impossible road. I then turned around and went back to FR-52, which is the main road. At that point, Mabel agreed with me and we were soon in Packwood.

 From two lane Highway to single lane to dirt. I had a hard time finding a place to turn around.

When we got back to the trailer, I got on Google Earth and found the road she had me turn on at first (FR-47) and it was at least 10 times as far as the main road and then US Highway 12 would have been. I’m not sure what she was trying to get me to do. Perhaps she decided we needed to see a little more of the forests in Washington.

Cindy is improving a little at a time and keeps trying to overdo. We still are not taking any hikes.

Thanks for visiting.