Mount Rainier This Next Weekend
 

Will be at Rainier July 25, 25, & 27. Had originally planned on hiking Naches Loop, Burroughs Trail, Skyline, and Comet Falls/Van Trump Park.
Wanting to see wildflowers and concerned that most of the trails I mention are going to have tons of snow on them still. Wondering if I need to consider other trails. I'm somewhat thinking that hiking one trail with a lot of snow would be fun, but main reason for going was to see wildflowers. Looks like I may be 2 or 3 weeks early this year.
Any comments would be appreciated.

spiro, I did a late August backpack trip by Rainier a few years ago. The flowers were slightly past their prime by then, at least that year, but we saw superb displays at Summerland, Berkeley Park, and Spray Park.

No idea how things are going this year, but good luck!

http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisi...conditions.htm

I'm assuming you've kept up on trail conditions....if those trails are still snow-covered just go to a lower elevation. I was there over the 4th of July and it seemed like flowers were nowhere near peak but a lot can change in a couple weeks. I would think its a lot different now.

Edwin Birch is missing...keep a look out for him.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-no...als_scale.html

You may see some small scattered patches of snow but nothing you will have to walk through to get to see flowers.
There are many forest fires in central Washington so you may encounter smoke and some closed roads.
I did spend some time a couple years ago on a PIT project at the La Wis Wis campground along the Cowlitz River east of Packwood.