“The most luxuriant and the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens…”

I started reading a collection of John Muir’s writings in the backcountry of Glacier National Park, and ever since, I’ve been paying closer attention to the intricacies of the natural world around me, as Muir always did. As a botanist first and foremost, Muir was obsessed with the plants and flowers lining the hills and streams where he wandered, so when Mount Rainier was described by him as the quote above, I figured Ryan and I were in for some eye popping views. We weren’t disappointed.

While Mount Rainier, at about 14,400 feet is an impressive sight alone, by far the part that made me and John Muir happiest were the wildflowers. It looked like purple water was flowing down from the glaciers clinging to the mountain’s sides, dotted with pink and orange Indian Paintbrush and delicate Queen Anne’s Lace. The meadows enveloped Ryan and me in blossoms, “the air was sweet with fragrance… while myriads of wild bees stirred the lower air with their monotonous hum.” I think Muir described this place quite accurately.

We only spent a short day at Mount Rainier, but it easily skyrocketed to the top of our Favorite National Parks list. The woods were dark and mossy, the meadows flower covered and inviting, and the mountain awe-inspiring. Sure it’s just a 14er, but Rainier is unlike any mountain in Colorado. Maybe one day Ryan and I will summit that formidable peak, but at the very least, I would love to return and stroll among that alpine garden again soon.