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teach. hike. love.

"We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there also."

My typical day consists of tying shoes, answering the same question 6 times, and watching multiple nose pickers blatantly dig for gold while making direct eye contact with me. The life of an elementary teacher is far from boring. As many people like to constantly point out, teachers have the "summer off." *Insert heavy eye roll* Although I personally work 2 jobs year-round, in my free time you can catch me on one of the million outstanding trails in the PNW. Born and raised here, strangely I didn't get into hiking until a few years ago, and now, I'm making up for lost time! Between the creative and fun things we do in my classroom, and all of the incredible trails and views I explore, I thought using a blog as a platform to recount these memories would be something I could look back on years from now and cherish. If you choose to spend a portion of your own free time reading this, I will now disclaim that I am not a professional journalist, I suck with technology, and I'm surprised I even know what a blog is. Reader discretion is advised. And if you are reading this- thank a teacher.

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"Dad Approved" Nisqually Vista Loop Hike

  • Writer: Kayleen Durant
    Kayleen Durant
  • Aug 16, 2018
  • 2 min read

This week was my dad's 5*rd birthday (you're welcome, Dad!). I decided to spend the day taking him on his first ever trip to Mt. Rainier! It is such a fun experience taking someone to MRNP who has never been, and watching their eyes light up with amazement! My dad and I have very different levels of hiking experience and comfort levels, but that doesn't mean that we can't both enjoy nature and the beauty that Mount Rainier offers. Below you will see a hike that is family friendly for all levels! (Note: the signs in MRNP say that it is stroller and wheelchair accessible, which is technically true. However, in my personal opinion, it would be QUITE a task trying to push someone up and down the 200ft of elevation gain. Even though it is paved the entire way, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're up for a good sweat.)



This stunning view of Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually River Valley *The air quality and haze is abnormally high in this picture due to current forest fires in WA

About the Hike:

This trail starts out from the lower parking lot (overflow parking) at Paradise. It is paved the entire length of the trail and is in pristine condition. You get amazing peek-a-boo views of the mountain the entire length of the loop. This hike is just a tad over one mile round trip, and is about 200 feet of elevation gain. To someone who never hikes, this is truly a definition of a beginner hike. It will have you perspiring by the end, but it is the perfect "gateway hike" into becoming an avid hiker! There are a couple amazing viewpoints (see the picture above) once you reach the far side of the loop. If you have binoculars with you, you will most likely be able to see some brave hikers summiting Mt. Rainier! Even stopping to take pictures and chat with other hikers, this loop took us about 45 minutes to complete. Happy Hiking! :)


Link to the WTA:

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/nisqually-vista-loop

 
 
 

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Olympia, Washington

kayleenrdurant@Hotmail.com

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