Mt. Rainier at Camp Ohanapecosh

For a little daycation we decided on a trip to Mt. Rainier last Saturday.  Gabe got a guide book with lists of multiple hikes, and we decided on a loop out of camp Ohanapecosh up to Silver Falls and back.  The roughly 2.5 hour hike seemed like just the right length with Gabe's torn ACL, and me trying out hauling baby boy in the sweet hiking backpack Paul and Mary lent us for the first time. 

We stopped on the way up to get a pic in front of the glorious mountain.  The weather couldn't have been any better.

The falls were spectacular.  Because of our unseasonably cool Spring and early Summer the snow is just now melting at the rapid rate of 18-20 inches per day (Thanks Ranger Dan for that and many other park factoids).

But I'd have to say the highlight of the trip was hauling little Rok in the hiking pack.  We were worried that after a two hour ride up the mountain he wouldn't be so happy with getting popped back in another carrier.  We were wrong.  I think finally being at 'Mom and Dad level' evoked un-paralleled joy in him.  He spent the majority of the trip mimicking our voices, laughing, and singing for passersby on the trail.  The pack worked great, but it was quite the workout! 

We stopped on the way home for a picnic lunch and we let Rok shed his clothes for a little nakie baby time.  He was loving it, and all was well until I realized we hadn't packed chocolate covered raisins and that he was playing with a sizable pile of deer poo.  Whoops!  Guess I didn't sufficiently clear the picnic area for animal droppings:)