Grand Park,  Mt Rainier National Park,  October 21, 2005     page 6 / 12

Grand Park is roughly 1.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. This provides spectacular panoramas. Several stops for photos were required. Each time I stopped, I looked around for other hikers, but there were none. I had the whole place to myself! The Sunrise road had been closed for the season just a few weeks ago, so access to this area of the park was limited. The further south I hiked, the less likely I would see anyone. The isolation in this wide open space was exciting, and inspiring. I felt a bit like an explorer in a new land, except for the well-worn trail.