Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Reaching New Heights

Still in Washington State we decided that we needed to explore one of the two famous mountains near Seattle. We decided to go explore Mt. Rainer since we had done Mt. St. Helens a few years ago. Mt. Rainer is only 50 miles from downtown Seattle, as the crow flies, so when you are in the city you can see this huge presence of rock looming in the background as you walk about town. The closer we got to Mt. Rainer the more impressive this huge rock became. We were very fortunate that the day was better than can ever be expected in this part of the country, where clouds are the norm. We entered the Park and started our slow gradual accent to the highest point that you can drive by car called Paradise.


Along the road were tall pine trees that covered any view of the valley below. Once in awhile the trees would open up to reveal an incredible sight. In the picture above we stopped to take our first look at the mountain from within the park. This little creek is running low today but in early spring when the snows begin to melt on the mountain this creek turns into a big nasty river. You can see how wide it becomes. The mountain is rich in iron and the red rocks are tinted from the iron in the water.


We spotted another run off that was running pretty fast and full. Here the water ran a milky white from all the ash washing down the mountain. Hundreds of years ago this mountain was an active volcano and it spewed lava and ash for hundreds of miles. Today the ash is still being eroded away by the snow melts. How do you like the bridge? It was only 12 inches wide and when you stood in the middle it would sway and bounce. The spray of the river would lick your feet as you bounced across.


When we were walking back to the truck we both commented on how many places this little truck has been since we started this trip. What was once used for mulch around the house has become a world traveler. I'll even forgive it for cutting loose in the beginning of our trip!


Once we arrived in Paradise we were so enchanted with the area that we decided to check into the lodge and spend an evening high up in the mountain. Sitting at 5,600' with views all around. We checked in and decided to go for a short hike to take advantage of the beautiful day. Who knows what the weather would be like tomorrow.

Along this trek we encountered more wildlife than we have seen anywhere else. We saw Wombats (like gophers but bigger), Deer, Chipmunks and even Black Bear.

Here we are in the beginning of September and we were still walking on snow! Some of the trail was covered by snow and at one point we had to walk up a hill that was slanted sideways. One slip and you would find yourself about a hundred feet downhill.


What was a short hike turned into a long 5 mile trek with over 1,500' of vertical climb. We were so excited about the sights we were seeing that we just kept going until we climbed to the highest point allowed. Anything higher required a permit for back country camping. In the picture above we are at 6,400' and at the base of a huge gorge that the snow melt has created. Waterfalls seemed to be all around us as the snow continues to melt. We sat in this spot close to an hour just taking in the sight. Watching the waterfalls cascade over the tall cliffs and quickly disappear under the blanket of snow below the falls, only to emerge downstream somewhere. While sitting here we could here rocks being cut loose off the cliffs and crashing below. The ice is shifting with the water and melting happening all around these glaciers and you could hear the cracking and popping of these huge chunks of ice colliding and pressing against each other.


Take a look at the slide show to see the incredible journey we took. Mt. Rainer is a spectacular place to be. Days can be spent hiking and enjoying the sights along with the local residents that graze the hillsides. One of the highlights of our trip!


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