Yesterday, I went hiking with Aidan and Dr. Brown at Mt. Rainer. You all know Aidan, but probably not Dr. Brown. She and I have been friends for about 25 years. She is a pediatric ophthalmologist who serves on the board of the Dry Eye Foundation and was in town for our Annual Meeting. It was her first visit to the area in decades and since she's an inveterate hiker, we've been visiting various spots on the Olympic Peninsula.
Skyline trail at Paradise
Early Monday morning, we drove up to Paradise - on the south side of Mt. Rainier - and hiked part of the Skyline trail. There's a fair amount of climb (about 1,100 feet) with gorgeous meadows.
Cloud formations over the summit of Rainier evolved throughout the morning.
There was a den of young marmots by the side of the trail.
Naches Peak Loop
After lunch, we drove out of the national park to another popular location where the wildflowers were in full swing.
The wildflowers on this hike just got better, and better, and better as we went along.
We came across a black bear near the trail - probably after huckleberries which were just starting to ripen. We did not stop for selfies, but did manage to get a pic or two while passing quickly in a small group. Black bears have never been known to attack people on Mt Rainier but... one definitely keeps a respectful distance.
2 comments
Beautiful captures, they match your descriptive storylines.
Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing.