Rainier Trip

Can I describe our Rainier trip this year?

In 20 photos or less?

I'll try!

Beavers are natures best dam builders!

The classic shot from the bridge at Myrtle Falls.

Randall Hodges, the professional, giving us a short macro lesson.

Not 100% sure what the names of all the wildflowers are

but they're pretty!

If you look closely, you can see the road in front of Rainier.

(The diagonal line)

Notice the bumper to bumper cars parked along the road?

The parking lot at Paradise was completely full!

The place was PACKED!

From the 'Sunrise' side.

A shot of me and Mom on the Sourdough Ridge trail at Sunrise.

Another shot from the Sourdough Ridge trail.

I call these "mopheads" and I've only seen them growing in

subalpine territory. Not sure what their true scientific name is.

A red Indian Paintbrush!

Sunrise was the place for wildflowers this year.

We had a lot of snow last winter and there were very few flowers on

the Paradise trails.

Mom's about to come across the suspension bridge in

"The Grove of the Patriarchs"

You have seen how incredibly wide I am...

So you KNOW these trees are pretty darn big!

...and TALL!

They were as tall as 300 feet according to the signs & flyers.

I don't know why this fallen trunk fascinated me so....

BAXTER!!

Yes! We saw 2 black black bears (yes, I said black 2X on purpose)

AND

One cinnamon black bear! It looked like a grizzly but it's face and legs were black,

hence the title, 'cinnamon black'.

They were wandering around in the "Paradise Valley" area.

We also saw 3 foxes. This black one with a white tipped tail,

(You can barely see through the weeds) this light tan/white one

and a solid gray one. They were not bashful, in fact they came up to

people and cars in the parking lot and on the road.

Signs explicitly tell you not to feed the wild animals, but obviously not

everyone heeds signs.

I can't remember the name of this little waterfall, but Mom and I vowed

to go back soon, hopefully before it snows us out, and hit all the waterfalls, making note of

their names. There are quite a few.

OOPS!! 22 Photos....I was close!

Another wonderful trip to my favorite place in Washington...possibly the country.

God's art is the very very best!