Every year for the last 4 years I've started off the new years with a tradition that goes against the grain for some. For me, I don't really like to drink the night away and stay awake all hours of the night to cross the imaginary threshold of time where it's the new year. Consequently forcing me to spend the first day of the new year recovering from such acts, which to me is counterproductive. For me, It's about starting it off on the right foot. This requires being in the outdoors and being up before dawn to take advantage of the winter's really short daylight hours for an adventure!
The day started off like any other adventure, well before I'd prefer to be out of bed and on the complicated path of managing multiple people's schedules. We meet early for the one soul that will inevitably be late... The main group met up on the way to consolidate vehicles. This year, like 2 of the last 3 new years we started at Rainier National Park. Why Paradise? 1) because it's gorgeous, 2) it allows multiple options for varying conditions and group dynamics.
Years previous we have hiked Glacier Vista returning through Edith Creek Basin, out to Reflection Lakes and back over the lower portion of Mazama Ridge, Mount Tahoma Ski Trails (the year the park got shut down), and this year we chose Mazama Ridge from Paradise. At the parking lot, we went over options and chose our route. We then headed over to the Southeast end of the parking lot where the summer road winds into the Paradise River valley. From this road you weave around to just past the second creek crossing and head up.
On the way up we played "guess that slope angle," and of course, Tyler, one of the Engineer students was nearly dead on every time. I was happy if I was within 5 degrees... After getting pictures and finally climbing the ridge we headed north for a little ways, and happened upon a beautiful bowl! Which with the days conditions, the lower angle access into the side of the bowl would have been amazing! But since I left the splitboard at home, I resorted to taking pictures.
After finding a spot for lunch, we dug in a table with benches surrounding the table. I set up my stove, and we got water boiling and passed around the cups for apple cider. Which luckily Tyler was the only one with the sense to pack it! I totally forgot to grab some packets from home that morning. Lyss and I stewed some soup, while others ate sandwiches, and Victor ate his left over McDonalds.
After our long lunch break was over we filled in our table and slowly made our way back down the ridge. We took a side route over a slightly narrow bridge over the river and came down the way we rode down the weekend prior. On the hike up we ran into some nice rangers, and as with most trips to the mountain we sat down at Copper Creek for a beer, food and stories of another beautiful day in Paradise.
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