Mount Rainier
I think we drove close to seventy miles through farmland and along the Naches River which runs through the trail laced Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest before we climbed over Chinook Pass and rounded the bend for a magnificent view of Mount Rainier. The ice-capped Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano, stands at 14,411 feet and towers over everything around it; lakes, evergreens, meadows of wildflowers, and additional peaks.
After entering the park, we turned north and climbed the winding road up to Sunrise, the highest point in the park accessible by car. The road provided countless views of Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, and the four mile long Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the lower 48 states.
Silver Falls Loop
From Sunrise, we backtracked down the mountain and continued south toward Silver Falls Loop, a three mile trail I wanted to hike today. The falls, which gushed through a slot in ancient volcanic rock into an aqua blue pool below, were only about a third of a mile from the roadside pullout. As such I didn’t complete the three mile loop that appeared to turn into the forest, but instead followed another trail that paralleled the Ohanapecosh River, as I prefer hiking by the water. The out and back trek was only about two miles, but plenty in the shaded, yet humid forest.
I steered VANilla to one of the park’s campgrounds for the evening and noticed the main road to many of the popular attractions I planned on visiting tomorrow was closed for ten miles. It looks like I will have to take a sixty mile detour…BOO. ETB
again great photos…..we just had a wonderful well needed storm, hope it will cool down this town have a great night
Simply breathtaking! WOW
Xo’s RILY