Mount Rainier

Yesterday Anya and I again went to Mount Rainier for a hike; pictures are here.

I've already written about this topic, and posted a bunch of pictures. However, there are two main entrances to Mount Rainier National Park that visitors coming from Seattle use. Previously we went to the southern (and busiest) end of the park, known for its cascading waterfalls, old-growth temperate rainforest, and bumper-to-bumper weekend traffic. This time, we went to a much less crowded area named Sunrise in the northeast corner of the park.

Sunrise is set on a sub-alpine meadow at 6400'. July is "spring" on this part of the mountain (the snow is finally melting), and the wildflowers are in bloom. Many trails criss-cross these meadows; some descend to the forests, others ascend into high alpine tundra where nothing but moss and small grass can survive in the 3-month growing season.

The pictures don't do it justice, but they do a good job of approximating the scenery on our hike: secluded lakes, hardy wildflowers, chipmunks, the occasional marmot, snowfields that last until August, and sweeping larger-than-life views of the Mountain itself and its glaciated flanks. We obviously had a fantastic time, and can't wait to go back.