Bonus Day

We first heard the term “bonus day” during a fly-in trip to Alaska a few years back. We had gotten an InReach (satellite) message that our plane would be late due to weather, and the pilot told us we “had a bonus day!” The schedule change was not all that surprising, as weather delays are common–but it was a little surprising that it was our favorite part of the trip. We used the extra time to fish and hike and solve the world’s problems–with no goals, no commitments, and nowhere else we’d rather be.

That experience came in handy last week, when we landed in Seattle on the first leg of our trip home from Hawai’i. Our plan was to grab dinner and hopefully a good night’s sleep before our morning flight the next day. While on the shuttle to the hotel, we caught a glimpse of Mount Rainier in the distance, a gentle reminder that we could still be on an adventure. And then my phone buzzed with a text: “Your morning flight is cancelled. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.” Aah, yes, plan B. We know how this goes.

After a frantic hour on the phone with the airlines, we booked a redeye flight for the following night. So that part was good. And we already had a place to sleep, also good. Then Travelocity told us we could rent a compact car on a special rate for $44 (!). But what to do with that extra time, especially without our luggage? Oh, wait, didn’t we just see that mountain?

A quick check of maps pointed us toward a cluster of trails near Paradise, on the south side of Rainier. It was about a two-hour drive for us the next morning—including a quick stop to buy a $3 bag of Rainier cherries—but it turned out to be worth every minute.

We started our hike from the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitors Center, where some fancy stairs led to the beginning of the Skyline Trail. The trail was relatively short—four miles round-trip—but it was loaded with…well…skyline. We headed up through open meadows and enjoyed amazing vistas and wildflowers along the way. We shared the trail with a lot of other friendly folks–and one noisy pika. As the views got better, we all took turns oohing and aaahing (well, not the pika). Mount Rainier was the featured attraction, but we could also see Mount Adams and Mount St Helens to the south.

It felt like a typical day in the mountains, but there were a few tells that this was not the original plan. For starters, I was wearing the same polo shirt, cotton shorts, and Chacos that I wore on the plane the day before (sandals aren’t great in snow, just sayin’). And Suzy’s backpack was a bookbag she got free at a work conference. Our lunch also told a story: a half-crushed cheese tray from the Kona airport, a few squares of chocolate from the hotel lobby, and the cherries.

As we popped above treeline, Rainier stretched out like a curtain in front of us. It fills your whole field of vision, like nature’s drive-in. You sense the mountain even when you’re looking in the other direction. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.

Our hike was about three hours start to finish, including a leisurely lunch. Along the way, several people handed us their cameras to take their photos, including a young couple dressed for an engagement announcement. We had them take a bunch of pics of us, too (this is our Bonus Day announcement, no?).

We made it back to the airport with time to spare–along with muddy shoes, big smiles, and the kind of glow that comes from an unexpected adventure. The evening light was fading by then–but we could still see the silhouette of the mountain, some 50 miles distant.

Still giddy about the day, I settled into my window seat and pulled on my eyeshades. Then I felt the telltale buzz of a text message. Uh-oh, more news from the airline? Nope, this time it was from Souzz, sitting a few rows behind me. It was a photo of the two of us, and she wrote “Such a great day. We couldn’t have planned it any better!”