Mt Rainier

So look at what Jan found for us yesterday. We were driving along and this is what popped up:

Mt Rainier from the East.

We arrived and set up at White River CG. The river runs white with it’s load of glacially pulverized rock.

Marco and Scape

dwarfed by

Douglas Fir trees

at White River CG.

After we set up camp we drove [up] to Sunrise Point. A short walk brought us to Emmons Vista Overlook. This is what we saw, the most spectacular mountain view I have ever in my young life beheld:

Emmons Glacier is the

largest in the lower 48.

White River begins at the Terminus.

What looks like rock is

dirt covered ice.

Arriving back at the campground we decided to take the 1.5Mi (960ft elevation change) walk up the Emmons Moraine Trail.

We could wish for trails

this well maintained in

all of our Parks.

What a beautiful walk in

a very different Woods.

Terminus of

Emmons Glacier

There it is, the

White River exiting from

beneath the terminus of

Emmons Glacier.

After that little walk we resorted to painkillers and early bedie-by. We fell asleep listening to the sound of the White River rushing past the campground. This morning we awoke and arose to see this sight from our window:

Stepping outside this is what we saw:

Mt Rainier at Sunrise.

Fantastic.

Lew

We took Route 410 out of Yakima to the Chinook Pass.  When you make the turn into the park, the views are dead gorgeous.    Like out of some wonderful scenery book.

 But to get to this view we had to drive through smoke so thick......

 And unbelievable dust. Like you would read about in the dust bowl stories.

 After the first view...I closely read everything I had on hand about Mt. Rainier and said to Lew, " I think since we are entering the park on this road we should turn left and go to this place called Sunrise."  He has been so agreeable this trip!  So off we went.  Then we entered the park and got a wonderful map.  I looked it over and suggested we check out the campground.  As you can tell from Lew's pictures we LOVED the campground.  We dumped the trailer (with Katz) in our lovely LOOK AT THAT GLACIER spot and took off to Sunrise to see what we could see.

I talked to the nice Ranger in the Center and she suggested three things for my limited foot.  The walk to the Emmons Vista (1/4 mile round trip).

Then a wonderful walk from the end of the campground to the Emmon's Moraine Trail.  Here's another photo of a lake we saw from that walk.

 After we returned to the campground I was very sore but very happy we had talked to that ranger. 

Jan