A Visit to Mount Rainier

Ed enjoying the view of Mount Rainier.

Ed enjoying the view of Mount Rainier.

Although we have enjoyed Mount Rainier from a distance, today I went for a drive to clear my head and see some beautiful scenery. I was not disappointed. The mountain is just as beautiful up close as it is from a distance. It was interesting the watch the wind whip the clouds and snow near the top.

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier

I was surprised that there were bicyclists riding all the way up to the Sunrise Day Lodge. I was also surprised how cool it was on the mountain. Everyone needed to wear a sweat shirt or wind breaker because of the wind. It was especially nice to enjoy a sunny afternoon. It was quite cloudy in the morning, but the sun shone brightly in the afternoon.

The White River flowing from Mount Rainier.

The White River flowing from Mount Rainier.

A lake can be seen near the top of the mountain.

A lake can be seen near the top of the mountain.

The Seattle area has been unusually warm, but I have not used the air conditioning the past two days. I have simply enjoyed the cool breezes.

Celebrate with a beautiful view of the mountain!

Celebrate with a beautiful view of the mountain!

A panorama by merging 6 different photos to capture the view.

A panorama by merging 6 different photos to capture the view.

Sunny Day!

Mount Rainier in the sunshine!

Mount Rainier in the sunshine!

We were beginning to wonder if we would ever see Mount Rainier again. It has either been cloudy or rainy for several days. However, today is beautiful and sunny and we can again see the mountain. It is simply spectacular to see.

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is spectacular, but often hidden by clouds.

Mount Rainier is spectacular, but often hidden by clouds.

We are celebrating our arrival in Washington and have enjoyed seeing Nancy and Steve along with Mount Rainier. Yesterday was sunny and we could view the entire beautiful mountain. Today, there were clouds surrounding the top.

Ed and Steve on a hike to see more views of Mount Rainier.

Ed and Steve on a hike to see more views of Mount Rainier.

We have loved seeing Nancy and Steve. We had a great dinner together yesterday and sampled some different wines. Ed and Steve especially enjoyed a meal of blackened salmon.

Steve showed Ed the basalt columns on the hike.

Steve showed Ed the basalt columns on the hike.

Today Steve invited Ed to join him on a hike to see some additional views of Mount Rainier. During the hike they saw lenticular clouds over the mountain. They also saw basalt columns from past volcanic activity. One thing we asked Steve and Nancy about was the “Volcanic Eruption Emergency Route” signs along the local roads. Since Mt. Rainer is a volcano that is only dormant and not extinct, there is a need to direct drivers to high ground. This is definitely not something we dealt with in Tucson!

We love our campsite here as it is very green, spacious, and quiet.

We love our campsite here as it is very green, spacious, and quiet.

Speaking of Tucson, we noticed the high today was about 100 degrees while here in Enumclaw the high was less than 80 degrees. Nice.