Day 12, August 3
We had another late start, so that was nothing new. When we got up, my brother made some breakfast for the both of us with some hearty oatmeal topped with bananas. We left camp for the Nisqually Vista Trail after our breakfast/lunch. On the way there, we stopped at a vista lookout point. The view was that of the Nisqually glacier and it was vast!
Once we reached Jackson Visitor Center, we got our gear ready of the basic essentials such as water, food, sun protection, illumination, insulation, first-aid, and a fire starter. I was bummed that the trail was snowed in. All I had was my Salomon XT-Wings trail runner shoes for the whole trip and it had no gore-tex lining. My brother had gore-tex lined trail shoes, so that was good news for him. Basically, I just had to be careful. The trail was a fun one because there was no distinguished trail. Park Rangers made impromptu trails marked by markers. I slipped and fell a couple of times, but there was something relaxing and funny about it. It brought back the child in me.
Along the trail, we spotted what I believed to be a Black-tailed Deer. It was a doe. It was relaxing on a patch of dried sage brush. My brother attempted to get closer, but I made him think twice. I told him that he had to respect the animal in its natural environment. The last thing I wanted was for him to be injured. We took some shots and video-taped the doe and went about our way. A few moments later, we arrived at the Nisqually Glacier viewpoint and the view was simply breath taking. We finished the trail with a few more slips and falls.
We had dinner at the Jackson Visitor Center. We each had salad, a fruit, a sliced pizza, and a sundae for a grand total of a little over twenty-eight dollars. The price was steep! When we got back to camp, Chuck, a person I met earlier informed us about a 9pm presentation made by a park ranger on the campground's amphitheatre. We told him that we would be there. After the conversation, my brother and I killed time by messing around until I saw a young girl fell into the ground and got scrapped up. I told my brother to approach the mother and his daughter to see if they needed some antiseptic. He was reluctant, but I told him that he needed to practice his social skills. Someone might need help, so I told him to lend it. Long story short, we made new friends aside from Chuck and Jeannie, we met Katie and her four wonderful daughters Maria Gabriella, Leticia Marisol, Elena Teresa and Sofia Paz. I learned that Katie was a professor and taught child development, a course of study that I undertook at a community college before I majored in psychology.
At 9pm, we met up with Chuck and Jeannie. Park Ranger Mike Punches gave a talk on "Happy Trails!" a one, two, and three knockout presentation! Of all the trails he mentioned, I was sold on Dege's Peak and of the four lookouts within the vicinity of Mount Rainier National Park. My brother and I had a game plan for Day 13 of our trip. When we got back to our campsite, we got ready for our first ever campfire!!! It was a successful one, but I had to use some spruce that kept the flame going because the fire wood was to thick to burn completely. Where was the axe when you needed it?
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