Beginning this year reservations to visit Mt. Rainier National Park during the high-volume summer months were required. There was a two-hour window for arrival time. Bob made a reservation with an arrival window between 9 am and 11 am. That meant we had to get up around 6 am for the long drive, about 2 ½ hours, not counting an accident on the freeway that resulted in the closure of two lanes and cost us another half hour of creep and stop traffic; however, we still made it by 9:30 am.
We did several short "walk-abouts," that included Christine Falls, Paradise Falls, Narada Falls, Myrtle Falls, part of the Lily Trail, and Reflection Lake. We stopped at Christine Falls first, walking down to look at the lower falls and then up and across the roadway to see the upper falls.
Lower Christine Falls
Upper Christine Falls
On the way up to the main day use parking area at Paradise, we stopped at Paradise Falls. The trail down to the viewing area looked rough and a little eroded, so I remained up while Bob went down and took some pictures. Then we drove to Reflection Lake hoping to get some pretty shots of the mountain and lake, but the mountain was being shy and invisible as shown in the picture below. So, we got back in the car and headed up to Paradise to park. We held on to the hope that the clouds would dissipate and we could return to Reflection Lake later in the day and get some pretty pictures of the mountain and lake.
A shy Mt. Rainier poking out of the clouds above Reflection Lake
After parking in the very full parking area, we headed up to Myrtle Falls. We have been here several times and usually see marmots and sometimes deer near the falls. There is a steep stairway down to a viewing area. The bottom portion of the stairs is not in good repair. Once again, I stayed up on top and Bob went down.
From the bridge looking up from Myrtle Falls
Bob's photo of Myrtle Falls from the lower viewing platform. I stayed up by the bridge.
Looking up at lower Myrtle Falls from the road below
Buck
A beautiful
antlered buck posed and nibbled on shrubs near the bridge that crosses over the
top of the falls. Later, we also saw a doe and fawn on the road as we drove down to exit the park. But still no marmots.
Doe crossing the road
followed by the fawn
The Lily Trail or Nisqually Loop was another short hike that we have done before.
Earlier in the summer this trail winds around through thousands of lilies
and marmots like to eat the lupine that grows here too. But the lilies were finished for the year and
we did not see marmots or much lupine. However, there were still flowers, gentian, lupine, asters, foraging golden rod, hellebore or corn flower, magenta paintbrush, fireweed, rosy spirea, pink monkey flowers, besides the pearly everlasting growing near the parking areas, on the various trails, and along the road everywhere.
Gentian
Fireweed
Asters and False Hellebore, also known as Corn Lily
Closer look at the Corn Lily flowers
Magenta Paintbrush
Lupine
Foraging Golden Rod
Rosy Spirea
Mountain Arnica
Pink Monkey Flowers
The mountain, which should be huge and dominate the horizon this close, was still mostly invisible, shrouded in mist and clouds.
On the Lily Trail, Mt. Rainier still being shy
On the way out we stopped at Narada Falls and walked down the rocky, steep, trail to the viewing areas. This is low water season but the falls were lacy and very pretty. There was even a little rainbow in the falling water.
Narada Falls
Count for the day:
Note: Since hundreds of people visit Mt. Rainier National Park, we do not attempt to count the people. No dogs are allowed on the trails in the park.
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