MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA :: Today I led Kristie, her brother, and her dad on a beautiful snowshoe hike up Mazama Ridge. Our route was nearly five miles roundtrip, descending a couple hundred feet into Paradise Valley and back up 900' to the top of the ridge. Mt. Rainier loomed majestically above us, surrounded by clear, deep blue skies.

As we pulled into the parking lot, the thermometer in the Pathfinder's console displayed 19 degrees, but it felt much colder as we stepped out into a fierce wind. Powdered ice crystals were swept from dry snow banks, stinging our exposed skin. We got bundled up and headed out. Thankfully the wind was mostly absent inside the valley. We could see billows of snow blowing off of the peaks around us. On the ridge, we watched streams of glittery powder race across the snowscape, whirling over dunes and around trees.

Unfortunately, Kristie's dad had to turn back at the bottom of the valley. He wasn't able to make it up to the ridge today. Washington's alpine winter was just too much for someone acclimated to Southern California. I think snowshoes with serrated steel soles are as far away as you can get from sandals worn on warm, sandy beaches. He encouraged us to continue on without him.

For the most part we felt alone out there, and we found a lot of unbroken snow to romp around in. We made it back to Kristie's sleeping dad right as the sun was setting, concluding a fun day in a winter wonderland!