Mount Rainier Vacation Part 3 - Emmons Glacier & Glacier Basin

Day 3
Part 3 of our Rainier camping & hiking vacation. 

If you'd like to catch up with our Rainier vacation trip you can read about -

Part 1 our camp at White River HERE

Part 2 Owyhigh Lakes hike HERE.

The day dawned with a wonderful blue sky, I walked around the campground loop to get some pictures. This is the hill just across the river and behind us.

I looked up towards Mt. Rainier and sure enough I could see Emmons Glacier and a bit of Rainier.

We decided to hike the Emmons Moraine trail and then continue up the Glacier Basin trail.

Heading across the "prepared log" :-) bridge towards the Moraine. 

If you read the Part 1 Owyhigh post you'll see why I added a winky face.

We learned about "Kettles" at the Sunrise Visitor center. The lake below is a Kettle. A kettle is where a large block of glacier broke free and melted to form a lake.

Looking at the base of Emmons Glacier.

It was such a nice warm section to hike, the sun felt sooo good while we stopped for a lunch break.

Then on to the Glacier Basin trail. The clouds moved in and it started raining shortly after we got back at the trail junction that led on up to the basin.

I appreciated the log steps going up to the camp.

When we arrived at the camp, there was bear activity information posted. These signs are usually posted in the back country,

We walked out into the opening of the basin, hoping for some views, but visibility was not so good We could see the ridge that led to Camp Schurman, but that was about it. It was beginning to sleet and get cold, so we headed back.

Dinner at a soggy campsite.

Thank goodness, he brought umbrella's. Little did we know how handy they would be.

Total miles hiked - 8 miles

Total ascent - 2100 feet

Maximum altitude - 5,800 feet