Mount Rainier

Our friends, Jon & Sherry gave us some good tips and advice for visiting Mount Rainier National Park. Jon is working for and in the park this summer, so he was especially helpful. We were on the road by 9 Wednesday morning and in the main parking lot before all the other tourists arrived. We did a moderate half-mile hike to a meadow and waterfalls, explored the gift shops, grabbed a bite to eat, and then headed down the mountain, completing some geocaches on the way out.

Before we left the little campground that morning, I saw these three deer at the deer crossing near the office. They did not run away when people walked by. I looked for them around five, but did not see them.

This campground has around 20 RV spots, maybe 10 cabins, is quiet, has laundry and is within a few miles of the park entrance.

the mountain with some of its 28 glaciers

as seen from Paradise

the peak wildflower season is USUALLY this month

but the area had less than normal snowfall

and less than normal summer rainfall

and warmer than usual summer temperatures,

there were no wildflowers in the meadow

the flora is a month off season

I found some along the trail we walked on the way to the falls

Alpine Aster, I think

Myrtle Falls

not very big or full

glacier above Paradise

marmot (?) at Myrtle Falls

interesting

a wedding party of 3 and two photographers 

heading to the falls as we were heading down the path

a butterfly

Narada Falls

with a rainbow

the Paradise River before the falls

We spent the afternoon doing some caching in the neighboring villages. Thursday morning it was on to Seattle, our 'home' for the next week. The focus in Seattle is geocaching, finding our way, meeting friends, staying sane in ridiculous traffic, taking a tour and having a good time.