Sunday, June 14 – Day 1, Part 2 Training

The Hills Are Alive With Music

Three hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle was enjoyable and included some nice napping. Upon arrival to Sea-Tac, I was greeted by a break in the clouds during descent and a wonderful view of the area. Evergreens, a body of water, likely Puget Sound, bridges, homes, and overcast skies filled the landscape. I couldn't wait to deplane and inhale the exotic air.

It was wonderful. I smelled fresh, crisp, and unpolluted air. I met with a group of other eager interns at the airport baggage terminal and prepared for the final leg of the trip. For the next two hours, I rode in a van with six other interns and enjoyed the journey to Mt. Rainier National Park. We passed through Tacoma, Puyallop, Gig Harbor (not in that order), and Kent. I loved seeing the white profile of George Washington on all of the Washington State road signs.

The multi-lane highway narrowed into a winding road which bisected large forests of beautiful trees. Mileage signs for Mt. Rainier announced our nearing of the park. I was perplexed as I read the many signs and noticed arrows pointing towards Paradise. I know the National Parks are often times a paradise where we visit, but I had no idea the signs would be so gregarious as to just say something like “paradise, this way.” It was moments later that I realized Paradise is actually the name of an area within the park. Although Paradise would be a lovely destination, our two hour journey brought us to the Longmire campground.

My new home for the next six days is Platform Tent #6. The dazzling white canvas is in nice contrast to the cornucopia of green and brown covering the landscape. I have not seen so many shades of green in a long time.

After a nice dinner of spaghetti, flat bread, roasted garlic, mixed greens salad with a delicious homemade vinaigrette, fresh brownies, and green peas, I joined several others for my first hike of the internship. We set off using a map of trails in the area and selected Trail of the Shadows, a 0.7 mile loop around the Longmire Meadow, exploring the history of the Longmire Springs Resort.

Trail of the Shadows
0.7 miles round-trip
Self-guiding loop around Longmire Meadow explores the history of the Longmire Springs Resort.

Washington in a nutshell:
I found trees everywhere and the lush vegetation to be refreshing. The lichen and moss is beautiful. The sky is thick with cottony clouds and wisps of types of clouds I forget the names to, opening to slices of delicious sunshine. The long winding roads leading to Mt. Rainier National Park intersect small towns where the general stores are still the main way to get groceries and gas. There is no Walmart, No Starbucks, No cell service, and No wi-fi. I'm here and the white canvas platform tent is home. I like Tahoma.