Day Two On Mt Rainier

For me the joy of staying over night at the Inn is being able to get up early and go out to catch the first sun on the mountain. My companions are the wildlife, like this young deer grazing in the meadow.

I was on the trail to Myrtle falls. Here the pasqueflowers were just opening.

With first sunlight coming in at an angle, the details are clearer. I had my tripod and used it to zoom in on one of the glaciers.

On these slopes, the yellow Glacier Lilies were blooming.

Hiker Linda - a self portrait using tripod and timer.

The stream above the falls.

Myrtle Falls As I was heading back to the lodge, this fox came walking toward me on the trail, not caring in the least that I was there. I guess he's used to visitors.

Bear Grass blooms and lupine.

After breakfast we checked out of the Inn and had to move the car. The day lot was full, so we had to be on our way, ready or not. And I'm never ready to leave this place. We drove to Reflection Lake and visited the site of our daughter's wedding in 2001.

With a ripple on the lake, there was no reflection this day.

Heading back down the mountain we stopped at view points along the way.

The bridge over the Nisqually River. This is a glacier fed stream, and the glacier has receded significantly. Tom remembers when it used to fill this whole channel right up to the bridge.

Good by to Paradise. I'll have to be content to view The Mountain from the low lands for a while.