A few hours later, and a bit wetter from the rain than the rest of us, the next backpackers arrived at the dry shelter of Indian Bar. Sheri and Chris, a married couple from Tumwater, Washington, were taking twelve days to circumnavigate Mt. Rainier on the Wonderland Trail. And like everyone else in the shelter that day, they showed up in good spirits, with plenty of smiles and laughter and jokes.
just some of the trees (photo by Debby)
Glenn, Paul, Don, Melissa and I decided to greet the latest members of the Indian Bar shelter group with some hot chocolate. Boy, did Sheri and Chris appreciate the gesture. We knew they were on their way, as not only did Glenn, Paul and Don meet the two the previous day, but we also saw Sheri and Chris descending the tree-lined trail into the wildflower-filled area of Indian Bar. They looked wet, we thought, and so we decided that the hot chocolate would be in order.
Sheri and Chris (photo by Melissa)
And besides, it was Sheri and Chris who were assigned the shelter that night for sleeping. The rest of us technically would have had to set up tents and sleep outside in the rain. As Glenn, Paul and Don had an inkling that Sheri and Chris might offer this to us, we figured that the hot chocolate would be the least that we could do to thank them in advance. And yes, the gracious couple allowed us all to stay together in the shelter that night!
clothes drying and tent set up in the shelter (photo by Debby)
So now the seven of us stayed dry in the shelter that afternoon. As Sheri and Chris began to hang up their wet clothes and supplies to dry, and set up their tent (in the shelter), we all sat around and talked and joked. As we were cooking up dinner, each of us with their own favorite flavor of freeze-dried food, Chris wondered when the pizza was going to be delivered…
At some point, Chris also decided that at 10 pm that night, we would be taking a vote to see who had to leave the “island…”
But jokes aside, after the hand puppets were displayed, we thought we would play charades. Well, we really actually never did play charades, but the board games were brought out. Well, ok, no one really carried board games in their backpacks, but somehow the jokes kept flying…
where Melissa and I slept (cots in the shelter) (photo by Debby)
At one point, a very cheerful, very friendly park ranger came by the shelter to check our permits and to see how we were all doing. She was all wet from the rain, hiking to Indian Bar as a day-hike only. We offered her some of the hot chocolate, but with a thank you, she did not want any. But she was full of enthusiasm, even with the rain, and just as full of good spirits as we all were.
We told the park ranger that we would all be staying together in the shelter that night, and she seemed glad about that. We bid her farewell, as she went on her way to hike back out to go sleep in a warm bed.
wildflowers by the trail (photo by Debby)
As the seven of us sat there watching the rain sometimes stop, with a patch of blue sky sometimes appearing, the wildflowers still greatly standing tall, the trees still as green as ever, and the sound of the river rushing by, we thought that no other backpackers would be arriving at the shelter that night. But one more person showed up; one who was just as in good spirits as the rest of us.
Please read the next blog to find out who will be the last member of the “Mt. Rainier Wonderland Trail Indian Bar shelter group.”
Sweet Travels!
Photos by Debby and Melissa