Bonney Lake sits on a plateau east of Puget Sound, at the edge of the suburban sprawl that spreads out from Tacoma and Seattle, and on a clear day Mount Rainier fills the horizon as a vast white wall. The mountain, at over four thousand metres, is such a presence that it seems closer than it is, and locals check it each morning the way other people check the weather. It is a very large volcano, officially active, and the city is built in the path of its mudflows, a fact that the county takes seriously.
The town itself is modern and unassuming, with shopping centres, subdivisions and a fine lake, but its location is useful. A short ride east on State Route 410 takes you to Enumclaw and then up the White River valley to the Crystal Mountain turn-off and Chinook Pass, one of the best mountain roads in Washington, which winds through old-growth forest to the foot of Rainier's slopes and over a pass at about sixteen hundred and seventy metres. The pass is closed by snow in winter, usually from November to May. Closer to town, the plateau roads around Lake Tapps and Sumner have a pleasant rural feel, with farmland and views of the mountain between the trees.
After a day in the volcanic landscape of Mount St. Helens, the wide, quiet roads of the plateau make a gentle finish. The traffic on SR 410 can be heavy at commuting hours, with long lines of cars heading to and from the Tacoma and Seattle suburbs, so avoid the late-afternoon crush if you can. Watch for deer and for wet roads under the firs, particularly in autumn.
Bonney Lake has about twenty thousand people, with petrol stations, supermarkets and plenty of chain restaurants, and Sumner, nearby, has a small, pleasant main street with cafés. There is no shortage of services, so there is no need to fret over range.
On a clear evening, stop at a viewpoint and watch the alpenglow on Rainier. It turns pink and then fades to blue, and the mountain's presence is oddly calming.