Snowshoeing Tonga Ridge on the Nisqually Glacier is a 7 mile roundtrip, 1400’ elevation gain adventure, that takes you extremely close to the summit of Mt. Rainier! When I went with my friend Pete, I’d never gone snowshoeing before, and it’s a BLAST.
(I borrowed a pair of snow shoes, but you can rent them for $15-$25 for a few days if you don’t want to commit to buying a pair right off the bat. Local outdoors outfitters, like Ascent in Seattle, usually rent equipment for newbies!)
Somehow, in the middle of the rainy season in the Pacific Northwest, we lucked out and showed up to snowshoe on a crystal clear day that gave us views for as far as the eye could see. Days like this always remind me why I chose to live in this part of the world!
Every part of this journey was magical, nothing but beautiful views and peaceful quiet. I snapped all these photos on my old iPhone and didn’t touch any of them up--so you’re getting an unfiltered perspective on this hike!
And there she is. Mt. Rainier ascends to 14,410’ above sea level and is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous US, feeding 6 rivers! Hiking to the summit is the stuff of legend for hard-core hikers. Tonga Ridge gets you really, really close. There it is!
I’ll leave you with this cool snap of Pete out on the mountain. I couldn’t get over the amazing white/blue color contrast out on the trail. Mt. Rainier is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in Washington. Get out there, y’all!
Hi friend! I’m almost brand-new here, just over a week! I’m releasing content every day as part of @MarkRMorrisJr’s #DolphinSchool Bootcamp along with 20 other awesome emerging authors. Check out the project!
I’ll be using steemit to share thoughts on artistic practice, arts opportunities, equity, my personal projects, and other fun things happening in my world (like hiking!) For something outside of my photos, try my RURAL free-write. See you around! -- @lilyraabe
