3/16, Saturday. Partly sunny, warm (maybe in the 60°Fs in the city). Went to Rainier for one of my favorite snowshoe route (a repeat of Jan 1st 2018): Narada Falls -> Reflection Lake -> Mazama Ridge -> Paradise Lodge -> Narada Falls TH. Road was clear all the way to Paradise. Snow was soft.
First short stop is Christine Falls Bridge. Then we saddled up behind the bathroom of Narada Falls without visiting the falls. The parking lot was almost full. Snow was compact on the trail. If you stay in the center, you may not need snowshoes. Didn't find any tent at Reflection Lake. I guess either too early or too late. Met a few small groups. Yes, grey jays came to steal my lunch.
Back track to the junction and took Mazama Ridge trail up. The higher section of this loop is most rewarding. Saw two tents at different location. Track was obvious most of the way. We took the slope down to Paradise Road cross-country. Not sure if it's better continue on existing tracks.
Managed to reach the Longmire gate at 5:26pm before the advertised closing time of 5:30pm. On the way, took this eerie photo of Alder Lake. The water level is at its historical low according to this article. The cause is contributed to an unusually hot, dry summer, followed by a cool and dry September.
