so you want to go backpacking?

4 days, 3 nights, and an amateur backpacker. what could go wrong? honestly, a lot. but the worst it got was spending a night in the car, just so i could crank the heater if things got dicey.

according to my seattle friends, mt. rainier is where the hardcore outdoor crowd goes to play—hiking, backpacking, touring, climbing. i was drawn by the views, the promise of tranquility far from new york’s chaos, and the challenge of doing it all solo. plus, tiktok had me hooked with endless pacific northwest content—mt. rainier front and center.

for context: i’m not new to backpacking. i’ve trekked through nepal, bolivia, and all over the u.s. does that mean i was ready for a three-night solo trip, camping for the first time two miles from civilization at the top of a mountain? absolutely not. but once i set my mind to something, there’s no stopping me.

i landed in seattle from austin late wednesday after what would be my last work trip with the company. after grabbing my bags, i joined the endless rental car shuttle line. first mistake: doubling up the trip. i had work clothes, regular clothes, and all my hiking gear. that’s a lot to leave in a car overnight at trailheads. tip #1: pack only what you need, or stash your extras somewhere safe before heading for the mountains.

lower crystal lake camp

a quick night at a marriott near seatac (thank you, points) put me in prime position for an early drive to mt. rainier. i’d read that campsites fill up fast, so i planned to arrive early—turns out, it was still early season, so i had most sites to myself.

day 1: seattle wakes up with the sun. i hit a safeway on the way to white river campground for essentials: water, bread, almond butter, beef jerky, snacks, matches, and a firestarter. then it was off to the white river information center for my permit.

upper crystal lake

abbie and linda at the station were fantastic, handing me a map and marking snowy areas. they suggested crystal lakes for night one, maple creek for night two, and snow lake for night three. the itinerary didn’t go exactly as planned—thanks to weather and my own learning curve—but i made it to all three spots.

mistakes two and three: no water purifier and a pack that was too small for my gear. that meant hauling 4 liters of water up 2.5 miles to crystal lake, with a 50l pack on my back and a 32l daypack on my front. not ideal.

camping at lower crystal lake was unreal. the lake, tucked into the mountains, was pure magic. i set up camp, figured out the bear pole, then hiked to the upper lake and three peaks for a killer view of rainier. i even brought a mini watercolor set and spent some time sketching by the water.

mistake four: high elevation means intense uv. i wore a long-sleeve sun shirt, hat, and sunscreen on my face and neck, but my hands got toasted. don’t forget your ears and hands.

fog rolled in overnight, swallowing the mountains behind the lake. i packed up and hustled down, trying to outrun the rain. lesson learned: rain is a constant in the outdoors—gear up for it, don’t try to escape it.

crystal mountain

day two: i pulled into crystal mountain’s parking lot before 8am, blasting the heat in my rental jeep. nine winters on the east coast haven’t made me less of a texas girl—i still hate the cold unless i’m skiing. i spent the morning at the resort, journaling and reading in the café until the gondola opened.

i made friends with the summer staff, danced around the resort, and filmed the whole thing. solo trips bring out the goofiness, and mountain people are just the right kind of weird.

it was still cold and rainy, but i’d thawed out enough to hit the next trail. i found a wonderland trailhead and hiked to maple creek. i left most of my gear behind—camping there in freezing temps and snow didn’t sound appealing.

"camping" spot for the night

the hike was lush and wild, straight out of jurassic park or twilight. the “bear” i thought i saw turned out to be a deer. the site was cool but i was glad to head back and sleep in the car; waking up to heavy snow confirmed i’d made the right call. sleeping in the car near reflection lakes was a little nerve-wracking—i wasn’t sure if it was allowed, which made for a restless night.

day three: by 7am, i was up, teeth brushed, and driving to paradise inn for shelter. the lobby was packed with people escaping the snow, sleet, and rain, all huddled by the fire with coffee and mediocre pastries.

i spent the morning working on my website, my looped in initiative, and job hunting in health tech. i uploaded photos from my camera to free up space.

by early afternoon, i was itching to get back outside. i checked out reflection lake in daylight, then hiked to snow lake to see what would have been my third-night campsite. snow lake was stunning. i saw others camping, but the mile-long hike in, followed by a stream crossing on a skinny log, felt risky solo. i ran into nps patrol on the way out—they suggested white river campground, which had just opened. i paid $20, set up camp, and explored more of wonderland trail.

camping at a real campground was more nerve-wracking than dispersed camping. as a solo female traveler, being close to strangers with only a tent between us was unsettling. at one point, i woke up convinced someone was trying to break in, only to realize i was experiencing sleep paralysis.

day four: glacier basin hike, then back to seattle. the hike was about 7 miles round trip. i was the first on the trail, but passed other hikers with full climbing gear and even touring skis—wild, considering it was june and the snow was crunchy.

that first post-trip shower was heaven. i scrubbed every inch of myself at least seven times. camping makes you appreciate the simple things. i met up with a family friend, walked green lake, grabbed ice cream, and met her friend who’s into freediving in lake washington (who knew?). that night, i wandered pike place, ate ramen, and crashed before sunset.

what an incredible experience. i learned a ton and will be better prepared for wild weather next time. can’t wait to do it all again—maybe with some company.