Hiking at Mount Rainier

White-tailed Ptarmigan has been high on my “wants” list, and I haven’t had available time to really target it. Fortunately, I live in Oregon, and nearby Mount Rainier is on the southern edge of the range and has reliable but infrequent sightings of this species, so on a rare day off from work, we decided to give it a go.

I had never been to Mount Rainier, although I know it is a very popular hiking destination for international visitors and hikers from Portland and Seattle. Our special day off was a Sunday, so we hoped that it wouldn’t be too busy. Friends advised us to get there as early as possible, so we planned to arrive around 7:00 am. Looking at eBird, the Paradise area seemed to be our best bet.

Sunday arrived, and we were so happy to follow the advice of getting there early. On the highway into the park, there were waiting time signs starting at 2 hours! When we finally got to the parking area, the main lot was already full, and at the lodge, a huge line waiting for the bathroom – it was much more popular than I thought.

We started up the Skyline Trail Loop counterclockwise and quickly realized everyone was going the opposite direction. It was packed with loads of hikers! But our first turn-off was strenuous but much less busy. We watched marmots hopping across the valley, tussling with each other and crossing the trail in front of other hikers. Once we reached the top of the valley, we were treated to Edith Creek, which spreads out and flows through the trail. The diffuse water supports lots of wildflowers, and we saw loads of Chipping Sparrows poking along the ground. The trail turned into steep switchbacks with more marmot burrows alongside and a Red-breasted Nuthatch and Steller’s Jays calling from the trees above. Cedar Waxwings and Pine Siskins were flying about the tops.

A few miles and several hundred feet of elevation gain later, we reached Panorama Point, which was the location of the White-tailed Ptarmigan sightings. There were recreationists everywhere. Hikers and climbers looking to summit were all over the place, with Common Ravens and chipmunks scavenging dropped snacks. American Pipits and Dark-eyed Juncos were on the fringes. We surveyed the area for a while, hoping to see some movement of birds, but I think it was just too busy for these birds.

So, we continued the hike, enjoying the views on our way down the mountain. Many more hikers were heading up, and it was getting warm, so we were glad we’d started early. The west side of the loop is a steep paved pathway that we had to slowly descend, and we finally noticed a large bird off in the wildflowers. Could it be our target? People started to gather around as the bird and her chicks were moving about. It turned out to be a Sooty Grouse family, which we have on our eBird list as “heard-only”, so we were happy to get some good looks at this bird.

We finally finished the hike, and a Canada Jay greeted us at the lodge. It was disappointing to dip on our target bird after a strenuous 5-mile hike, but that’s how it goes!