Good Evening, Taylor,

It’s been a while since my last letter, hasn’t it?

The thing of it is, not a lot is going on. Ragdoll is so, so, so busy now—she doesn’t have much time for anything but work, and it’s eating into my time too. Things fall behind because of it, and then I end up scrambling to catch up on the chores. If we let things slip, they slip really fast.

Ragdoll gives me a few minutes at work if the mountain is out. She’ll run up to the roof and let me out so I can look at it on her morning break. The other day, I started to think, “That mountain has to be somewhere… how close can we get?” I asked Ragdoll if we could visit, and she said she’d actually been before. So we started planning.

The weather forecast said Sunday would be clear, so we made that our date.

I was excited all week. As we got closer and closer, it was all I could think about.

But Saturday night, Ragdoll realized her Park Pass had expired, so she bought a one-day pass. What she didn’t know was that the site she liked to go to wasn’t just open-access anymore—you had to reserve ahead of time. We crossed that spot off our list. I’d already picked out a hike nearby I wanted to try, though, so that made up for losing Ragdoll’s prime spot.

Sunday morning was cloudy. Really cloudy. Ragdoll drove because she wanted to keep the mountain a surprise, but it looked like we wouldn’t see it at all. She pulled over and left me a note: “The mountain might not come out, but you can enjoy the park itself. Just follow the GPS track to go through the park and eventually home.”

So I did.

The mountain was completely hidden, but the rivers, valleys, and views made up for it. At the Paradise Visitor Center, the parking was completely full and the mountain was still in the clouds. I thought maybe I’d just go on my hike instead. But as I drove away, I noticed people pulled over at a lookout. Glancing in the mirror, I realized the mountain was starting to peek out!

I pulled over and took a few pictures. I told the mountain, “It’s okay if you’re shy… I’m shy too.”

I kept going and ended up at Reflection Lakes. By then, even more of the clouds had lifted, and there it was. I got out and stayed for a while, just watching as the mountain revealed itself little by little. Glaciers, snow, clouds, crags, and a lake reflecting it all. Huge. Beautiful. Everything I had hoped for.

And then I almost got a parking ticket. (It looked like a parking spot, but wasn’t. Oops.) I left before I got in trouble.

I ended up at Tipsoo Lake, where I took a short half-mile hike. It was easy but full of flowers and tadpoles. I talked with a ranger about a plant he called “Mouse on a Stick” (a Western Pasqueflower). He seemed so happy someone was interested in the wildflowers. That made up for the short hike. And there in the distance, Mount Rainier had completely stepped out of the clouds.

I think I might come back sometime and try the Naches Mountain trail—it’s only three miles long with 600 feet of elevation. I’ve done that before, but never around a big mountain.

From there, I headed home. I had one last look as the mountain pulled its coat of clouds back on, and I told him goodbye for now. Dinner was disappointing, but I stopped for ice cream, which was very good.

It was nice to get out. I haven’t been out in a while. The dishes didn’t get done, and groceries weren’t picked up, but it was a good day. I think we both needed it.

I hope things are going well for you, Taylor. Sorry we’ve been away—life is busy, and not always in the good way like today was.

—Andrea