Calm and clear to Reflection

If every day was like today, I’d be spoiled. The conditions were ideal, allowing for unbelievable views while hiking out to Reflection and Louise lakes. The 7-mile jaunt starts behind Narada Falls in Mount Rainier National Park, winding up a small hill before dumping out on a forest road that shuts down in the winter so snowshoers and cross-country skiers can have their fun.

After a mile of marveling at the breathtaking views that have been obscured by snowstorms every other time I’ve taken this trail, I came across a fox hole. I cautiously peered inside but the tunnel went pretty deep into the snow and there was no sign of black beady eyes staring back at me.

We made it to Reflection Lake (1.5 miles in) with great ease and spent a few moments tossing almonds and granola for the aggressive gray jays that dive-bombed us from the trees. Then we kept trekking, around the lake to the second lake before turning uphill and climbing between the trees. The hope was to find a peak of some kind but daylight was ticking by so we ate a quick lunch and carefully made our way back down.

Looking for slightly different scenery, we took an alternate route back and gave Mazama Ridge a try. More forest, a few slogs uphill, a quick downhill slide and we were back where we started. Except this time, there were foxes! A very mellow brown fox and a more skittish black fox were creeping around the base of the hill above the falls.