Mt. Rainier National Park Archives - Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com

Day 13, Conclusion – Mount St. Helens, Travel Home // Church Trip 2024

Isaac Church — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 22:00:53 +0000

Today is the final day of our trip, and it’s definitely bittersweet to be headed home. We are all pretty exhausted, but it’s been an incredibly fun and scenic trip.

This morning, we woke up around 06:30, loaded the car, and headed southeast of Ashford.

Rivers Coffeehouse & Bistro

About 30 minutes away in Morton, WA, we stopped for breakfast at Rivers Coffeehouse & Bistro. It’s an eclectic joint with fascinating décor, quality food, delectable pastries from Cat and Fiddle bakery in Ashford, and freshly roasted-in-house coffee (albeit dark roast). For some reason, we all were extra hungry, and their prices were very good, so we placed a pretty hefty order.

Rivers Coffeehouse & Bistro

Dad and I both got a granola parfait with fruit and local granola; Faith got an açaí bowl (whatever that is), Mom got a plum earl grey galette, and we all got a strawberry ricotta cake to split. Dad and I each got a pour over of their house blend, and Faith got their seasonal iced latte (with local honey).

Rivers Coffeehouse & Bistro

We ate our breakfast in the bistro’s eclectically-decorated dining room. It was all very good, even though it was dark roast coffee. After we ate, we browsed through their retail section and bookstore, and then hit the road again.

Rivers Coffeehouse & Bistro

Morton, WA

Really, this place is worth visiting for the atmosphere rather than the food or drink, although those are pretty good too.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

White Pass Scenic Byway

After driving another hour and a half on the White Pass Scenic Byway and I-5, we finally reached the town of Castle Rock, WA.

White Pass Scenic Byway

WA Parks Interpretive Center

Our first stop was the WA Parks Mount St. Helens Interpretive Center, a repeat from our 2018 trip. However, during our last visit, we hadn’t been able to see the mountain because it was raining and extremely overcast, so we were excited to see more of the mountain and surrounding area.

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center

The visitor center has excellent exhibits (which I highly recommend visiting sometime), but we’d already been through it in 2018, and there’s a pretty steep admission fee, so we decided to move on to other things.

Spirit Lake Highway

Leaving Castle Rock and headed east, we started driving the Spirit Lake Highway towards Mount St. Helens.

Spirit Lake Highway

The edge of the blast zone is marked by Hoffstadt Creek Bridge. Everything from then on was completely replanted after the eruption in 1980.

Hoffstadt Creek Bridge

Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center

The highway was lined with an unbelievable amount of wildflowers, which thrive in the area since the eruption leveled acre upon acre of forest.

Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center - Mount St. Helens

Atop a ridge that had a view of the mountain, we stopped at Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. This is home to the US Forest Service’s Science and Learning Center, which has a variety of exhibits on the buildup, eruption, aftermath, recovery, and monitoring of Mount St. Helens.

We spent well over an hour browsing the exhibits. One exhibit focused on pyroclastic flow, flooding, and river temperature rising. Another talked about the massive elk herds and overpopulation problems. Another had a model of a rover used to navigate the crater and analyze future volcanic activity.

Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center - Mount St. Helens

Coldwater Ridge - Mount St. Helens

There’s a large observation deck on the backside of the center, where you can see the mountain, Coldwater Lake, and Castle Lake.

Coldwater Ridge - Mount St. Helens

Landslide Brings You Down

Normally, the area’s largest visitor center is Johnston Ridge Observatory, named after volcanologist David A. Johnston, who died in the eruption, but managed to warn about many details and help with evacuation plans. However, there was a huge mudslide in 2023 that cut off access to the visitor center and Johnston Ridge.

Twelve people were stranded as a result of the mudslide and had to be evacuated by helicopter; eventually they were reunited with their vehicles two months later. The road is expected to be closed through summer 2026 at the earliest. The Forest Service moved their primary visitor station to Coldwater Ridge instead, and have plans to renovate and improve the center in the coming years.

Coldwater Ridge - Mount St. Helens

After spending some time on the observation deck and in the gift shop, we watched a 20 minute short film about the eruption. You can watch it through the US National Archives YouTube below; I’d highly recommend it if you don’t know much about the disaster. The video also includes info on David Johnston, whom I mentioned earlier.

Before leaving Coldwater, we ate some of our snacks from the car, including the last of the Washington apples, and fed Walker his lunch.

Driving

Loading up, we retraced our steps on the Spirit Lake Highway back to Castle Rock, stopped for petrol at the local Shell station, and then began driving north on I-5 towards Olympia.

Coldwater Ridge - Mount St. Helens

Traffic was mostly stop-and-go once we got on the interstate, especially in the area around Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Olympia Coffee Roasting

Needing a caffeine boost and a restroom stop, we decided to visit Olympia Coffee Roasting on the south side of Washington’s capital city. Dad and I split two different Ethiopian pour overs, Faith got an iced mocha, and Faith and I split a blackberry kouing amann (a laminated French pastry originating from Brittany – [pronunciation]). Everything was excellent, and I actually ordered some Colombian beans to have shipped back to NC.

Olympia Coffee Roasting

WA - Olympia, Seattle, etc.

Great coffee and pastries! Also a great place to order beans.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Spud's Produce Market

Next door to the coffee shop, there was a small produce market with local fruit, so we decided to stop in to get a snack for everyone, since we’d run out of fruit at lunch. I got a container of marionberries and a container of blueberries, and after setting aside some blueberries for Walker to eat on the flight home, we all split them on the way to our next destination.

Cactus Proctor

Around 17:00, we arrived back in Tacoma, making our PNW trip truly “full circle”. We headed to Cactus Restaurant Proctor on Proctor St., one of a handful of locations of the local “sort-of Tex-Mex” chain Cactus. This turned out to be an incredible dinner. We thought about visiting the week before when we passed through Tacoma, but I decided to save this as a special dinner for our last meal of the trip.

After starting off with some delicious chip and salsa, Faith and I both ordered their famous seafood enchiladas (Pacific snapper, prawns, bay scallops, blue corn tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, sherry-tomatillo cream sauce, blistered corn salsa, and charred tomato salsa). Mom and Dad both ordered the Cactus Fajitas (cilantro-lime prawns with Spanish rice, cumin black beans, caramelized onions, fresh guacamole, sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and housemade flour tortillas). We also got Walker a smoked brisket quesadilla.

Cactus Proctor

All the food was truly incredible; we’ll all remember and talk about this meal for a long time. I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite, but Walker’s quesadilla might win the prize. They basically gave him a full adult portion, so Dad and I ate the leftovers after the meal so as not to waste it. The brisket was actually incredibly well-done…it’s amazing that a Tex-Mex place in Tacoma would make better brisket than a lot of barbecue joints we’ve visited.

Cactus

WA - Seattle, Tacoma, etc.

Everything about this meal was perfect – spice level, flavors, freshness, portion sizes, atmosphere, service, and more. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Other than boarding our flight, we had but one thing left to do: find a new home for the Pack ‘N Play. I mentioned on Day 1 of this trip that it was cheaper to buy a travel crib for Walker than to pay another checked bag fee, so we just picked one up with our Target mobile order. We’d asked a few younger couples with kids we’d seen waiting at the restaurant if they might need a spare Pack ‘N Play, but everyone said they already had one. Finally, we asked our waiter if he knew of anyone who was expecting a baby, and he said there was a waitress on staff who was expecting her first child soon. The waitress said she and her husband had been looking at buying one soon, and she was thrilled to have it!

Metropolitan Market

To kill a few minutes before heading to the airport, we walked across the street to Metropolitan Market, a famous local grocery store chain. All their locations sell “The Cookie“, a massive warm cookie that they continually bake fresh throughout the day. Faith and I split one; meanwhile we explored the store, and grabbed a few squeeze snacks and a new pack of baby wipes for Walker. I wish we’d allowed more time here; it was exceptionally interesting, and they sold much more than just groceries. Their selection of produce, meats, seafood, and cheeses were astounding for a chain grocery. “The Cookie” also lived up to its hype; we were very glad we got one, even though we were full from dinner.

Metropolitan Market

WA - Seattle, Tacoma, etc.

Come for “The Cookie”, stay for the excellent selection of food, housewares, and other goods.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Airport

Taking a slightly roundabout route to avoid evening traffic, we drove north towards the airport, getting one last look at Mt. Rainier as we drove.

Tacoma, WA

It took a while to drop off the luggage, return the rental car, check the car seat, and make it through security, but we made it to our gate with a moderate amount of time to spare. We were treated with a gorgeous sunset as we boarded and took off over the Puget Sound.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

The flight home was fairly miserable, as all red-eyes are, but Walker and Faith slept almost the entire time. We arrived in CLT shortly after 05:00 on Saturday, fetched our car from The Parking Spot and our luggage from the downstairs carousel, and immediately drove to Chick-fil-A in Linconton for breakfast, arriving shortly after they opened. After a quick stop in Granite Falls, Faith and I drove back up the mountain, arriving home around 08:50, and then napping until around 12:00.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures. Bonus: this also features a video Faith took of our garden when we returned to Boone!

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center”.

The best thing I ate today was… “seafood enchiladas and Walker’s brisket quesadilla”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the view of Mount St. Helens”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the meal at Cactus“.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the view from Coldwater Ridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “shrimp fajitas and the WA Cosmic Crisp apple”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the views of Mount St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, and the film at the visitor center”.

The best thing I ate today was… “shrimp fajitas”.

Wrapping Up

Well, it’s been an amazing trip! It was a grand way to officially celebrate Dad’s retirement, and was fun to spend time with everyone for nearly two straight weeks. I know it will definitely be hard to go back to work, and especially to not spend so much time with Walker (and everyone else) each day.

Below, I’ve polled everyone about their memories from the trip. It’d be impossible to record (or even remember) all the wonderful things we did, but these are just what came to mind for everyone.

Thanks to those of you who follow along. I really started write my blog to record the memories, but I’m glad that a few other people seem to enjoy it too.

Three Food Highlights

Question: what are three food highlights from this trip? Note: everyone said Granville Island Public Market was a top thing, so I’m excluding that. Also, it’s likely that everyone will share more than three.

Isaac

Cactus in Tacoma, WA
Fox & Oak in Squamish, BC
The Oak Table in Sequim, WA
Red Fish Blue Fish in Victoria, BC

Faith

Welly’s Real Fruit Ice Cream
Breakfast at The Oak Table
Shrimp dish at Italian restaurant in Mount Vernon
Cactus

Jerry

Biscuits and gravy at The Oak Table
Halibut at Red Fish Blue Fish
Lee’s Donuts
Fresh raspberries

Amy

Welly’s Real Fruit Ice Cream
Breakfast at The Oak Table
Cod at Northern Fish Co.
My Italian meal in Mount Vernon

Three Activity Highlights

Question: what are three activity highlights from this trip?

Isaac

Mt. Baker
Olympic hiking
Mt. Rainier hiking

Faith

Sunset ferry ride to Victoria
Sourdough Ridge hike
Butchart Gardens, especially riding the carousel with Walker

Jerry

The morning ferry ride leaving Vancouver Island
The hike to Sol Doc Falls
Pushing Walker in his stroller while Isaac and Faith hiked

Amy

Sunset ferry ride to Vancouver Island
Mt. Rainer at Paradise, including the old lodge
Butchart Gardens (delightful!)

Three Disappointments

Question: what are three things that disappointed you this trip? Note: I’m excluding the flat tire escapade and the unexpected heat wave, since both were obviously not great.

Isaac

Pike Place was not as great this time
Not enough time at Olympic – could’ve spent a whole week or two there
Didn’t get to do a longer hike in North Cascades
The road to Johnston Ridge Observatory was still closed

Faith

No orcas on either of the ferry rides
No other disappointments!

Jerry

No A/C in some of the places we stayed
The train ride was shorter than expected
We didn’t see much wildlife

Amy

We saw very little wildlife
We didn’t get to try the chowder at Pike Place
Can’t think of a third thing

Three Surprises

Question: what are three things that surprised you this trip?

Isaac

The Dungeness Spit
How much there was to do at Mt. Rainier
How much snow there was at Mt. Baker

Faith

Edible wild berries
Seeing elk
Walker sleeping really well every night, despite the strange locations

Jerry

How much I enjoyed Butchart Gardens
How big Mt. Ranier was, and then finding out we were still 6 miles away from it
That it only took 3.5 minutes for the eruption at Mount St. Helens to cover such a large area
The portable A/C unit in our bathroom in Ashford

Amy

The wild orange salmonberries were delicious
The beautiful color of the lakes
I really enjoyed Mount St. Helens and learning more about its history

Conclusion

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It’s been another great trip, and we’re glad we could share it with you! Stay tuned for another blog series coming very soon.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker

Coldwater Ridge - Mount St. Helens

The post Day 13, Conclusion – Mount St. Helens, Travel Home // Church Trip 2024 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 12- Mt. Rainier National Park // Church Trip 2024

Isaac Church — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 22:00:31 +0000

We started the day with another slower morning, with Dad and I heading out early to run errands, and everyone else sleeping in.

Breakfast

Dad and I drove down the road to Rainier BaseCamp, a collection of mountaineering services in Ashford. After stopping in the Whittaker Mountaineering gear store for a brief look around, we walked over to the cafe at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse for breakfast. Dad got a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich, which was pre-fab, but still tasted pretty good. We also got two drip coffees (they were just fine) and a mocha for Faith. Meanwhile, Faith made some pancakes for her and Walker back at the cabin.

Whittaker Bunkhouse

County Park

After rendezvousing at the cabin and finishing our breakfast, we headed out for the day. First we drove to Ashford County Park, the local (and seemingly seldom-used) park with a very nice swing set and other amenities. Walker played for a while, and really enjoyed all the different activities. It was nice that they had some things geared towards younger kids.

Ashford County Park

Pottery

Back in “downtown” Ashford, we arrived at Ashford Creek Pottery right as they opened for the day. Several sources I’d read highly recommended this local pottery shop, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint. They had many neat, locally-made crafts, and some interesting history about the area. The upstairs is an art gallery showcasing a variety of paintings, photographs, and more. We really liked the pattern of Mt. Rainier and the trees, but they didn’t have anything smaller available; however, the owner said he might be able to ship us something if we called about it once the next batch came out of the kiln.

Ashford Creek Pottery

Scenic Railroad

From the pottery store, we drove 10 minutes west to Elbe, WA (population 39) for the main attraction of the morning: Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. This historic train ride winds through the forest and across the Nisqually River, turns around at their service depot, and then returns to Elbe.

Here are some pictures from the excursion:

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

The views were beautiful and we occasionally got some views of Mt. Rainier as the train passed through the clearings. There were beautiful wildflowers, farmsteads, and meadows along the way.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

All the staff were very friendly, and we enjoyed the ride. It was definitely not as exciting as our train ride in Colorado last fall, but still a fun way to spend the morning.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

Elbe General Store

Back at the depot, we took some time to regroup and find the restrooms. The local assisted living facility had their weekly group outing at the railroad, so it required quite the wait for Mom to get off the train using the ramp/lift. During the delay, I walked across the street to browse in the Elbe General Store, ordered a cappuccino, and took a work-related phone call.

Elbe General Store

Rainier BaseCamp

Before we left the depot, we placed an online order for lunch from Rainier BaseCamp Bar & Grill, the counterpart to Whittaker’s Bunkhouse. Mom and I each got a chicken Caesar wrap; Dad ordered a turkey bacon ranch on wheat; and Faith got a BLT on sourdough. The lunch combos each came with chips, a chocolate chip cookie, and a colossal dill pickle.

On our way to pick up lunch, we saw a roadside stand selling locally-grown cherries, specifically Rainier and Bing varieties. We’d been wanting to try some, but the only other stand we’d seen was also selling an odd combo of local art and PB&J sandwiches, so we were a little skeptical. This stand was much less sketchy and less expensive, so we got a small bag of the fruit.

Rainier BaseCamp Bar & Grill

Rainier Cherries

Rainier Base Camp

Ashford, WA

Nice staff, solid food, and a neat environment. We ate there three times in one day, so I guess it’s pretty good!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Our lunch was very good, and the cherries were surprisingly great! I don’t particularly love cherries (because they typically taste like cough syrup), but these tasted more like plums and were perfectly sweet.

Pottery

Faith and I were having anti-buyer’s remorse because we didn’t get a mug from the pottery store, so after lunch, we swung back by so I could run inside and grab one. It’s the one with the mountain goat (previously pictured), if you’re curious.

Paradise

We returned to Paradise, and decided we’d do another hike or two to close out our time at Mt. Rainier, plus take a closer look at some of the waterfalls we skimmed over yesterday. First, Faith and I decided we’d do a longer hike while Mom and Dad stayed with Walker in the historic Paradise Inn. Mindful that many of the trails were still covered with snow, we consulted with a ranger, chose a more accessible trail, and began our climb towards the mountain. We chose the Alta Vista hike, with the intention of carrying on to Glacier Vista or Panorama Point if conditions allowed.

It was still quite hot, but the heat wave was subsiding, and temperatures were more bearable than on previous days. The beginning of the hike requires a fairly steep ascent from the Paradise parking lot, so steep in fact that the trail is paved. We continued through Rainier’s famous alpine wildflower meadows, and began to follow the ridge towards the mountain.

Alta Vista

We ran into a few snowbanks, but nothing too bad before we reached the Alta Vista viewpoint. The snow was a great way to cool down!

Alta Vista

Cooling off

Alta Vista

Soon, the trail became much more treacherous; it was completely covered in snow in many places, including some steep sections. We both felt pretty unstable without our hiking poles, so we decided to to turn around and head back before we got all the way to Glacier Vista.

Alta Vista

On our way back down to the Inn, marmots and chipmunks interrupted our hike several times.

Marmot

Chipmunk

Marmot

We took a slightly different route downhill, which turned out to be a non-ideal decision, since it required navigating another handful of snowy patches. But, we did get different views on the other side of the ridge.

Alta Vista

Completing our 5+ mile hike, we successfully made it back to the Paradise Inn without a single wipeout. We refilled our waters, grabbed a few snacks from the cafe, and loaded back into the van. While we were gone, Walker had been having a blast crawling around/on the furniture in the Inn, particularly an oversized wooden chair in the lobby. Dad also gave him a full scenic tour of the area in his stroller.

Paradise Inn

Driving down Paradise Valley Road, we stopped at a handful of waterfalls to get a closer look, since we had more time than yesterday.

Paradise

Narada Falls

At Narada Falls, we stopped again, this time for Faith and I to do the steep hike down the viewing platform.

Narada Falls

Even More Falls

Paradise

We wound down the valley, stopping again at Christine Falls to further explore them as well.

Christine Falls

We drove across the Nisqually River, and stopped at the Carter Falls trailhead to attempt to squeeze in one more short hike to end our day. Dad and I walked down the trail, which crossed the Nisqually River on a log bridge. While the river looked somewhat small from above, we realized it was a torrent of rushing water once we saw it up close.

Nisqually River - Mt. Rainier National Park

Across the river, I ran up the trail to try to reach the falls, but soon realized it was much farther than our audio guide had led us to believe. I turned around and ran back, making it back to the river crossing. After catching my breath, I headed down the slope to cross back over the bridge. Unfortunately, my shoes slipped on a “glacier flour”-coated rock, and I took a pretty hard fall, landing hard on my elbow and knee, and chipping the corner of my camera body. I carefully limped back across the bridge and rejoined everyone else at the car.

Nisqually River - Mt. Rainier National Park

Longmire

Continuing our drive downhill, we stopped at the National Park Inn at Longmire, the only part of the park that is open year-round. We’d thought about eating dinner in the hotel’s dining room, but prices were exorbitantly high, so we decided to just stop in the general store, enjoy the view from the front porch, and then move on.

Longmire

National Park Inn - Longmire

Cabin // Unsuccessful Ordering

We arrived back at the cabin and began attempting to order takeout for dinner from somewhere. However, it seemed all of our options were closed. We even tried to repeat eating at our lunch spot, Rainier BaseCamp, but they had already stopped taking online orders for the night, and their phone went straight to voicemail.

Coordination

Making a daring move, I thought we could make it to Rainier BaseCamp to try to place an order in-person before they closed. So, Dad and I literally ran back out of the cabin and drove down the road to the grill. I successfully got an order in, and the staff even remembered me from our lunch order. While I waited on the food, Dad walked to the Bunkhouse and waited for my signal. Once I knew the food was almost ready, he ordered four cups of huckleberry ice cream to take with us.

Back at the cabin, we threw the ice cream in the freezer and then sat down to eat our hot food. Dad and I split a mushroom Swiss burger and a salmon burger; Faith got a cheeseburger; and Mom got a grilled cheese. All the food was very good, and we were grateful to have it!

Rainier BaseCamp Bar & Grill

Whittaker's Bunkhouse

Since it was our last night, we spent the rest of the evening organizing, packing, and cleaning out the rental car.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Alta Vista hike”.

The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “Alta Vista”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the cheeseburger”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “strolling Walker around at Paradise Inn and the hike to the Nisqually River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the turkey bacon club”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the inside of Paradise Inn”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chicken Caesar wrap”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’re leaving Mt. Rainier, heading south to explore a different volcano, and then taking a very late red-eye flight home.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker

Alta Vista

The post Day 12- Mt. Rainier National Park // Church Trip 2024 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 11- Mt. Rainier National Park // Church Trip 2024

Isaac Church — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:00:36 +0000

Today, we started exploring the south side of Mt. Rainier National Park, after spending most of our time yesterday in the Sunrise corridor on the NE side of the park.

The Mountain Goat

Leaving Ashford, WA around 07:45, we retraced our drive from last night back to Packwood, WA and headed to The Mountain Goat for breakfast and coffee. We ordered a blueberry scone; two ham, bacon, cheddar, and green onion scones; two blackberry cream cheese pinwheels; a plain iced latte (that was supposed to be hot) for me; a drip coffee for Dad; and an iced Americano for Faith.

The pastries were all very good, but the coffee left a lot be desired. Even though they roasted it fresh daily, it was very dark and obviously not very high quality.

Packwood, WA

The Mountain Goat

Finishing up our breakfast, we quickly stopped in Blanton’s Market, a small IGA grocery, to grab some fruit and cheese for Walker, and some aloe lotion for my sunburn.

Ohanapecosh

Driving about 11 miles north, we returned to the Ohanapecosh area. Faith and I had been debating about what hike we should do, so we stopped in the visitor center to get some information. The bridge across the river at the Grove of the Patriarchs hike was still washed out, so we opted to hike the Silver Falls loop instead.

Faith, Walker, and I geared up for the hike, while Mom and Dad stayed to explore the visitor center.

Ohanapecosh Visitor Center

The trail begins with a sharp climb, and then levels out. The first point of interest is the Ohanapecosh Hot Springs. While not as big or impressive as those in Yellowstone, they definitely smell just as sulphur-y. The hot springs used to attract thousands of people to the area, but to most people they are now just a stop on a side trail.

Silver Falls Loop - Ohanapecosh

The trail continues through old-growth forest alongside the Ohanapecosh River.

Silver Falls Loop - Ohanapecosh

Soon, we arrived at the trail’s namesake feature – Silver Falls. This multi-tiered waterfall is beautiful, especially since it’s surrounded by the thick forest. Walker loved seeing the waterfall, and enjoyed the shaded hike through the forest.

Silver Falls Loop - Ohanapecosh

We took the footbridge across the river, and briefly clambered upstream to get a peek at the upper falls through the trees.

Silver Falls Loop - Ohanapecosh

Leaving the falls, we headed downstream on the opposite side of the river from our approach hike, following it downstream back to the campground and visitor center.

Silver Falls Loop - Ohanapecosh

Cruiser's Pizza

We were all very hungry after the hike, so we drove back to Packwood to find lunch. Many restaurants were still closed, just like last night, but we finally landed at Cruiser’s Pizza. Mom, Dad, and I each ordered a cheeseburger (two with onion rings, and one with fries), while Faith and Walker split a pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple.

Cruiser's Pizza

We were pleasantly surprised by the food, considering our initially low expectations. It helped that we were hungry.

Ohanapecosh, Again

After finishing up our lunch, we drove back to Ohanapecosh so Faith and I could browse through the visitor center exhibits, and so Mom could see the river from the bridge, since she didn’t earlier.

Ohanapecosh Visitor Center

Leaving Ohanapecosh and driving on the freshly-paved and newly-reopened Steven’s Canyon Road, we climbed higher, approaching the south face of the mountain.

Mt. Rainier National Park

Box Canyon

We made a brief detour to Box Canyon, a narrow slot canyon carved by the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River. There’s a short loop trail that provides views down the terrifyingly steep 180′ cliff walls. Dad and I walked around to take in the views, while everyone else proclaimed they were too tired, and stayed in the car.

Box Canyon

Reflection Lake

Our next roadside stop was at Reflection Lake, with a clear view of the mountain. We got out so everyone had time to stretch their legs, walk around, and enjoy the stunning view of the mountain and the crystal-clear water.

Reflection Lake

Inspiration Point

Continuing up the road, we pulled over briefly at Inspiration Point for another great mountain view.

Inspiration Point

Paradise

Soon, we arrived at Paradise, the most visited corridor in the park. Here, there’s a large visitor center, a historic inn, a day lodge, and the trailheads for some of the park’s most popular hikes.

Paradise

Myrtle Falls

Faith and I loaded up Walker in the backpack carrier and started out for Myrtle Falls, one of the park’s most frequently trafficked waterfall hikes. Although a little steep in spots, the trail is only about a mile round-trip, and ends at a footbridge the crosses a beautiful 72′ waterfall.

Paradise

Myrtle Falls

Paradise

Inn, ETc.

Back at the Paradise parking lots, we briefly stopped in the historic Paradise Inn, and then rejoined Mom and Dad at the Visitor Center.

Paradise Inn

We all got a small cup of vanilla soft-serve and ate it in the air conditioning. They sometimes offered raspberry or marionberry, but were sold out for the day.

Paradise Visitor Center

Narada Falls

Heading downhill from Paradise, we enjoyed many roadside waterfalls along the way. We made a brief stop at Narada Falls, a 168′ waterfall just off the side of the road. However, accessing the main viewing platform required a very steep and somewhat lengthy downhill hike, so we decided we’d save that for another day.

Paradise River Cascades

Narada Falls

Ricksecker Point

Taking a short scenic bypass onto Ricksecker Point Road, we made another quick stop for a view. This detour used to be part of the road to Paradise, but was considered the most dangerous stretch despite its beauty. When the National Park Service redid the road, they left the viewpoint available as an alternate route for visitors, since it offers such great vistas. However, the main route now avoids the steep cliffs that loom just off the side of the original road.

Ricksecker Point

Nisqually River

Eventually, we crossed a colossal bridge across the Nisqually River, which was the former path of the Nisqually Glacier. The river has carved its way through the moraine over the years, but the valley itself is much larger than you’d expect for just a glacially-fed river.

Nisqually River

From the river, we drove west back to our cabin in Ashford.

Ashford

We decided to get takeout from Wildberry Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is run by a Sherpa (that’s literally his last name), who used to be a guide on Mt. Everest. As of 2003, he held the time for the fastest ascent of the south side of the mountain. He’s climbed Mt. Everest 15 times, and has summited Mt. Rainier over 95 times. Apparently, Rainier is a popular place for Everest climbers to train because of the similar conditions.

Mr. Sherpa runs a Nepalese/American restaurant; accordingly, we ordered both American and Nepalese food for dinner. Faith got the Sherpa stew, which is a hearty beef and vegetable stew in a curry broth; I got dumplings filled with spiced pork; Mom and Dad each got a Caesar salad. For dessert, we split two slices of their famous marionberry pie.

Wildberry Restaurant

The food was excellent, especially the dumplings. It was a nice change to have a novel cuisine (at least to us). The service in the restaurant was very good, and it was an honor to meet such an accomplished mountaineer. One funny note though: when I gave my name (“Isaac”) for the order, he wrote it down as (“Ajik” // ah-jick). Close enough, I guess…

Wildberry Restaurant

wildberry Restaurant

Ashford, WA

I don’t know what the standard should be for Nepalese cuisine, but their food seemed great to me. Very flavorful and filling after a long day of climbing mountains. The service was great too, and it was interesting to see the displays of the owner’s life as a Sherpa.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Silver Falls Loop trail at Ohanapecosh”.

The best thing I ate today was… “pork dumplings”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “Reflection Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Sherpa stew”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the path the glacier had taken to form the Nisqually River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Marion blackberry pie”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “all the waterfalls”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the blackberry pinwheel”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow morning, we’re taking a train ride, and then continuing to explore the south side of the national park in the afternoon.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker

Reflection Lake

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Day 10 – Mt. Rainier National Park // Church Trip 2024

Isaac Church — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 22:00:49 +0000

Today, we headed away from the cities and back into the mountains. We circled around the north and east sides of Mt. Rainier National Park, and eventually ended up on the south side – our home for the next three nights.

happy Donuts

While Mom and Faith packed up and grabbed some fruit from the breakfast buffet at the hotel in Puyallup, Dad and I headed out to gas up the car and get some less-healthy breakfast food. We stopped at Happy Donuts to get a variety of flavors of old-fashioned donuts, plus some donut holes. They were very good, but paled in comparison to Daylight Donuts.

Happy Donuts

After eating in the hotel’s dining area, we loaded the van and started driving east into the mountains.

Lamppost Coffee Roasters

About 15 minutes outside of Puyallup, we arrived in Bonnie Lake, WA, and stopped in Lamppost Coffee Roasters, an SCA-certified roaster. The shop is loosely themed after The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (by C.S. Lewis). Most importantly, they had incredible coffee. Dad and I split three kinds of filter coffee: a Mexican peaberry pour over, a Peruvian pour over, and a Brazilian on batch brew. All were incredibly good – so good that I’ll probably order some of their beans online eventually.

Lamppost Coffee Roasters

Bonnie Lake, WA

While I realize most people aren’t going to make a special trip just to visit a coffee shop, this place is truly outstanding. Even if you never are in Bonnie Lake, I’d recommend ordering some of their beans online. Their attention to detail is only matched by a few other roasters I’ve been to.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Mt. Rainier National Park

After winding east and then south past the town of Greenwater, Crystal Mountain Resort, and the Mt. Rainier gondola, we finally approached one of the park’s official entrances at the White River Ranger Station. As I do with all national parks, I’ll share some facts and details below.

By the numbers:

Mt. Rainier is 14,411′ tall, the highest in Washington State and the Cascade Range
236,381 acres
~1.4M annual visitors
The 93mi Wonderland Trail circles the mountain. It takes an average of 10-14 days to complete the entire trail, and only ~200 do this annually.
260+ miles of hiking trails
65 mammal species
14 amphibian species
5 reptile species
182 bird species
14 native fish species
Average annual snowfall of 54′
248+ species of wildflowers

Fun facts:

Mt. Rainier is the most topographically prominent mountain in the lower 48 states
Mt. Rainier has the most glaciers of any peak in the lower 48 states (26)
Mt. Rainier is an active volcano that last erupted in 1894
The mountain was originally called Tahoma or Tacoma by the Puyallup tribe, which roughly translates to “Mother of all Waters”
The area became the 4th US national park in 1899
An Air Force Lieutenant, John Hodgkin, landed his plane on the summit of Mt. Rainier in 1951. However, when it wouldn’t start when he tried to take off again. After spending the night in sub-zero temperatures inside his plane, he decided to push the plane down the face of a glacier to attempt a no-start takeoff. As he gained momentum, he managed to get airborne using the updraft. He then successfully landed his plane on frozen Mowich Lake, faced minor legal charges, and lived in infamy forever. (Article)
Walt Disney honeymooned in the park in 1925

White River Entrance

As we entered the park, we stopped at a couple scenic overlooks before we reached higher elevations. First, we pulled over at a roadside overlook of the White River. Next, another pullout offered a view of Skookum Falls.

White River

Skookum Falls

We continued up Sunrise Park Road, getting ever-closer to the massive snow-capped volcano as we climbed.

White River

White River Entrance

White River

Sunrise Point

The road crosses over the White River, and climbs to Sunrise Point, which is the first full unobstructed view of the mountain. It was amazing to see it up close for the first time, not to mention views of all the other surrounding peaks, valleys, and lakes.

Sunrise Point

The road continues up from the lookout, approaching the Sunrise Visitor Center.

Sourdough Ridge

At the road’s end, we parked at the visitor center and day lodge, gathered some maps and trail info, and decided on our hiking plan. Since we had time to do a longer hike, Faith and I decided we’d do the Sourdough Ridge trail. The entire trail is about 8 miles one-way, so we decided we’d hike at least part of it. We loaded up Walker in the backpack carrier and headed for the trailhead.

The first part of the hike is a steep ascent to the ridge, and then the trail levels out a little as you traverse the ridge line. As we approached the mountain, we were stunned by its size; while it looks huge from Seattle, you don’t truly realize its enormity until you get this close.

Bonus: see if you can spot the ice cave on the mountainside.

Sunrise

Occasionally, the trail climbed to where you could see down into the valleys on both sides of the ridge.

Sourdough Ridge - Sunrise

As the sun got higher in the sky, we started to get pretty hot, especially Walker. I also realized my pack’s water reservoir had sprung a leak and was losing all its contents. So, I soaked Walker’s sun hat with the water that remained, topped off Faith’s hard-sided water bottle and the sippy-cup, and we headed back for the car as quickly as we could.

Sourdough Ridge

Sourdough Ridge - Sunrise

Back at Sunrise, we rehydrated and cooled off in the shade, very glad we made the trek despite the leak and the heat. At least all the leaking water had temporarily cooled down my backside…

Snacking

Back at the day lodge and visitor center, we grabbed a couple snacks from the day lodge, finally broke into the Spinnaker chocolate bar, and ate some of our snacks from the car. Dad got a new hat from the gift shop, and Faith and I each got a shirt.

Sunrise Visitor Center

Vista // Forest

Now refreshed, Dad and I decided to go on another short hike, while Faith, Mom, and Walker stayed in the visitor center. Starting on the opposite side of the parking lot as the trailhead for Sourdough Ridge, we headed to the Silver Forest trail and Emmons Vista. It took us a couple minutes to figure out where we were going (the trail maps were not very clear), but once we did, it was a short, pleasant walk through the forest to get to the viewpoint.

Emmons Vista - Sunrise

Emmons Vista

Emmons Vista - Sunrise

White River

Leaving Sunrise and descending back down Sunrise Park Road, we drove back over the White River, which gets its name from the glacial “flour” that clouds the water a milky grey.

White River

Chinook Pass

Continuing south on the Mather Memorial Parkway, we headed towards the Chinook Pass, Yakima Peak, Naches Peak, and Tipsoo Lake. At Tipsoo Lake, Dad and I hiked the loop around the lake, which was roughly a mile. It took us a while though, because we had to navigate through some snowy patches.

Tipsoo Lake

Driving up above Tipsoo Lake, we entered Wenatchee National Forest, and briefly looked down the Chinook Pass.

Wenatchee National Forest

Chinook Pass

Returning back to Tipsoo Lake, we briefly pulled over at the upper overlook, where you could see the lake, Naches Peak, and Mt. Rainier all at once.

Tipsoo Lake

Ohanapecosh

As we neared the Ohanapecosh entrance, we decided we’d come back another day to explore this area. However, we did quickly make a U-turn because I spotted two elk by the side of the road – a cow and her calf. We stopped to watch them for a few minutes. I realized I’d never actually seen a baby elk (at least not one this small) before. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a clear picture of the calf, because the tall grass hid it.

Elk - Ohanapecosh

Tunnel

Packwood

Continuing even farther south, we arrived in the small town of Packwood, and began to seek out a place to eat dinner. Many of the restaurants were closed, but we found Packwood Brewing Co., just off the main road, was open. They had a limited menu that was all served out of a food truck outside, but the food turned out to be very good.

Packwood Brewing Co.

We got three pulled pork sandwiches and a bratwurst. Each came with a bag of chips and a colossal dill pickle. The restaurant had very interesting décor, including unique door handles.

Packwood Brewing Co.

Ice Cream Airstream

Alongside the food trucks, they also had an “Ice Cream Airstream” outside. Mom got a cup of huckleberry swirl, Faith got espresso flake, and Dad and I split a gigantic huckleberry milkshake. All were very delicious and refreshing after a long day of hiking and sightseeing.

Ice Cream Airstream

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Our Airbnb was in Ashford, WA, a 40 minute drive away. We took National Forest Road NF-52, also known as Skate Creek Road, over to Ashford. We were very surprised at the scenery, and even though it was a slow, winding drive along the creek, it was very beautiful and a nice unplanned sightseeing excursion.

Skate Creek Road - Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Ashford

We finally arrived in Ashford, and unloaded at our Airbnb. Thankfully, the owner had installed portable A/C units to combat the record heat; however, it was a big surprise that one of them pretty much took up the entire bathroom in Mom and Dad’s side. Nonetheless, we were grateful to have them.

Dad and I headed back out to scout out the area, and grab a few snacks for Walker from the local convenience store. We all fell asleep quickly, tired from a very full day.

Ashford, WA

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Sourdough Ridge Trail”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry milkshake and coffee from Lamppost”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the Sourdough Ridge hike”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the coffee from Lamppost”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the Sunrise Corridor”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry milkshake and the Peruvian coffee”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the view of Mt. Rainier and the baby elk”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry ice cream”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll continue exploring other areas in Mt. Rainier National Park, and probably drive back to Ohanapecosh.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker

Emmons Vista

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Introduction // Church Trip 2018

Isaac Church — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:16:49 +0000

As I promised a while ago, here’s the introduction for the Church family’s latest adventure! But first, I guess I’ll do a family update…

Church Family Update

It’s been an eventful few months since I last posted on my blog. Shortly after our second road trip to the Northeast, I started my final year of graduate school (having finished my MS in Accounting) to pursue the second part of my degree, an MBA in Analytics, and Mom and Dad resumed their normal lives.

Dad is keeping the bustling metropolis of Granite Falls functioning after surviving a massive fire and a spree of tornados, and Mom has now “officially” retired (aka finally filed for retirement).

Our Christmas was quite the eventful time…

Mom managed to spill a bag of flour in/around/all over the pantry on Christmas morning. While I was cleaning up handfuls of flour, Dad went to the basement to get some new shelf liner, only to discover our water heater had emptied its contents on the basement floor. Eventually we got it fixed, but the only temporary solution was to shut the water off for the entire house on Christmas Day, since the valve on the water heater was broken.

I finished out Christmas Day by getting choked on a piece of steak in the afternoon. I didn’t die, and everything worked out thankfully! I guess after years of relatively normal holidays, we were due some excitement.

In other happenings, I’ve been even more involved lately with the worship team at ABF as we undergo a personnel transition, have worked on a few web design projects on the side, and have managed to clean out and reorganize all the storage areas in our house.

Spring Trip

As I mentioned before, a short while ago I wrote a post recapping the end of my trip to the Alps (which you can read about by clicking here), which detailed a fabulous experience with the airlines that resulted in getting my flight delayed several times, staying awake for 25+ hours, and on the positive end of things, getting a generous travel voucher.

That being said, our family has taken advantage of the free flights and decided to go somewhere over my spring break. Dad and I originally planned to fly to San Fransisco, but then the unexpected happened…

Mom has decided to fly with us. No, I’m not making that up. This might be the most significant event of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries. The last time she was on a plane, she was ~17 years old when she rode in an 8-seat crop duster over the ocean at Long Beach, was severly traumatized, and has refused to go near a plane ever since. If the tickets weren’t un-cancelable, I’m not sure I’d believe she was coming along. This is an even bigger step than taking our first road trip to Maine two years ago.

If you’ve gotten over your shock, I guess it’s time for the big reveal: we’re heading to the Pacific Northwest! We tossed around the idea of going to San Fransisco, a combination of the PNW and SFO, or a few other places, but eventually settled on this trip for a complicated variety of reasons of which I will spare you an explanation.

Yes, it will be somewhat cold; yes, it will be raining; yes, it’s a long way from home; but we are all thoroughly excited about the trip!

As always, along the way we expect to encounter plenty of scenery, plenty of good food, and plenty of unexpected adventure.

Our current plan is to visit Seattle, WA; Vancouver, BC; Victoria, BC; Portland, OR; and the surrounding areas.

If you’d like to follow our adventures, you can always visit the website, or subscribe to the newsletter.

If you’ve subscribed in the past, you’ll continue to receive email updates. Be sure to add postmaster@mail.isaactchurch.com to your address book so the newsletters don’t get caught by your spam filters.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to once again sharing our adventures with you!

P.S.

If Mom doesn’t make it past the first leg of our flight out, we’ll need a volunteer to drive to Houston to pick her up at the airport there…

P.P.S.

Not to give too much away, but here’s a quick, abbreviated list of exciting things about this trip:

This will be the first time Mom and I have seen the Pacific Ocean.
Weather permitting, we’ll be visiting the snowiest and the rainiest place in North America (Mt. Baker and Hoh Rain Forest). It’s not looking good for Mt. Baker though, since the current snow base is around 20 feet deep.
We’ll visit the westernmost point in the contiguous United States.
Waterfalls
Volcanos
We’ll potentially cross 3 national parks (Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades) off our list – I’ve set a personal goal of visiting all 59 in my lifetime.
Food (of course, did you think I’d forgotten?)

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