Mt. Rainier National Park Part 2

As we woke up on the second day at Mt. Rainier the sun was shining. I headed back up the meadow towards Myrtle Falls and was completely amazed at the difference in scenery when you could actually see the mountain towering above you. The first day, as you will see tomorrow, the mountain was completely covered in a cloud bank for most of the day. I think that the clouds hold their own merit and add a little mystery but when the sun is shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky the beauty of Mt. Rainier really shines through. I must also admit I was a little jealous seeing hundreds of hikers getting ready to make their attempts at the ascent to the summit. One day I hope to return and at least try to make it to Camp Muir which is located a little over 10,000 feet in the Muir Snow Field. For those of you that love facts, Mt. Rainier stands at 14,409 feet and is one of numerous active volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range. The last eruption occurred around 1890.

Wildflowers bloom in the meadow at the base of Mt. Rainier inside the national park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

Myrtle Falls at the base of Mt. Rainier at the national park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

A marmot warms itself in the sun at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

A marmot warms itself in the sun at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

A marmot warms itself in the sun at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

Snow and glacier runoff flow towards Myrtle Falls at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

Snow and glacier runoff flow towards Myrtle Falls at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

Snow and glacier runoff flow towards Myrtle Falls at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.

 

Mt. Rainier in Washington stands at 14,409 feet and is one of numerous volcanoes along the Cascade Mountain Range.

 

A view of Mt. Rainier from the Reflection Lakes inside Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington on Friday, August 24, 2012.