After a a day of going between lakes and ponds and creeks, I spent the night at Lava Springs with a large number of other hikers. Lots of flat tent sites, and really good, cold spring water.
The next day, we did lots of ups and downs and in the late afternoon, climbed up and over Cispus Pass. The day was starting to cloud up, and I was a bit nervous about crossing over the pass as bad weather settled in. Quite a few south bounders were going by, drenched and reporting rain at the top of the peak. I stopped and put on my pack cover and jacket. Which ensured that the clouds dispersed and the sun poked through. (Works every time!) So I got to enjoy beautiful views all the way up and down the pass.
The next day was by far my favorite day on trail. The trail climbed up steeply and then I took the alternate route over Old Snowy Trail- going up and the peak on a narrow, rocky edge. It was cold and windy and downright scary, but exhilarating. The trail then went over knife edge, which involved careful slow steps as you pick your way down.
The rest of the day offered warmer temperatures and beautiful views of Rainier before another fairly steep descent to White Pass for food, shower, and laundry.