The Lollygagger's Ride to Sunrise
My lunch stop while everyone in their cars sat in line trying to find a parking spot.
Once upon a time I was a mountain climber (the rope and crampon type) and topped out on all the high Cascades except Rainier, where I ended 0:5. One of the things that sucked was that the people I climbed with never stopped to enjoy their surroundings, never listened to John Muir's musings, never paused to touch an old growth tree.
Now the mountains call me into their fields on my bike without the fear of crevasses or icefall, and I can lollygag all I want to stop and smell the mountain's wildflowers. And the ride down...taking flight on your bike is way better than killing your knees under a huge pack!
The 14-mile road climb to Sunrise Visitor’s Center at Mt. Rainier National Park is - IMHO - best done solo. No competition. No feeling the need to keep up with people who have other agendas. You see a flower, you stop. You see a vista, you stop. You want to appreciate the clean air, you stop. The visitor’s center is at 6,400 feet and you will definitely feel its altitude coming from Seattle. Drink your water. Stop and snack. Take you time to appreciate these surroundings and your body will be happier taking you to the top. If you’re lucky, there will be a huge line of cars waiting to find a coveted parking spot and you will blissfully pedal past them because not only did you see more along the way and arrive under your own power, but you stopped to smell the flowers.
