MT. RAINIER

Mt. Rainier

DATE: Friday, Sept 16, 2011
HOME: Packwood, WA.  Cowlitz River Hotel
DISTANCE: 61 miles
ALTITUDE: 3600
WEATHER: Cool, windy, but clear
OUR HEALTH: Both feeling the best yet – cool weather helps
NARRATIVE: At the end of the day going around a corner and seeing Mt. Rainier was a spectacular ending to a fabulous day!
It was the best day of riding yet:  the weather was good (rain never materialized), and though it was quite cool and we had a head wind most of the day, the views climbing 3000 feet to the top of White Mountain were beautiful.  We like trees, but when climbing a mountain we like the views.  And, we found a restaurant at mile 30 (services have been very limited) so had a nice lunch.  The day ended with a fun 20 mile downhill into Packwood.
Packwood:  the one disappointment of the day – a half-mile strip of ugly buildings along highway 12.  We ended up in the best of the “not too great” motels.  And dinner – well, it was one more “authentic” old time restaurant.  At meal times we always have to remind ourselves that we don’t go on these trips for the good food; besides it’s part of the cultural experience.
Weather:  clouds and possible chance of rain but nothing big.  So, we’re planning on camping tomorrow and getting to Hood River on Sunday where we’ll have a good hotel and a layover day:)  Bob is making the reservations at the same place we stayed in on the Lewis and Clark Trail.