note: justin, i think you'll find a desktop background or two laying in here waiting for you!
note dos: our sleeping bags were so fresh & so clean, clean, and (finally) dry for our two nights at mowich lake campground.
mt. rainierelev. 14,410 ft
15 miles outside of the park boundary.
15 miles outside of the park boundary.
happy camper, mowich lakeelev. 4929 ft.
on the way to lake eunice and tolmie peak.
brooke got a laugh out of his forgotten linkin park button. how many hikers wear a graffiti artist on their sleeve?
eunice lakeelev. 5320 ft.
a beautiful lake.
looking from eunice lake to tolmie peak.the fire lookout tower is the square dot on the ridge left of center.
[click on picture for a close up view.]
our destination awaits.
happy camper. the fog begins to roll in.
tolmie peak fire lookout tower.elev. 5939 ft.
our destination breaks through the end of the trail.
on clear days you can see a wonderful view of mount rainier.on days like this, it was drenched in fog and 40 degrees.
as you can see, the view was well worth the three hour hike.
as you can see, the view was well worth the three hour hike.did we mention it was cold and windy?
inside the fire lookout tower where a ranger spends their time during a dry season.this was andrea's favorite part!
she hopes to inhabit these humble quarters one day!
brooke liked it too!
we were treated to nature's sweet snack on the hike down:low blueberries!
bobo dow!
we met a new friend on the way down as well: mr. chipmunk.he was quite the photogenic fellow.
here's another game of 'name that flower.'anyone want to take a stab?
seriously, we need a plant guide.
part dos
after we summited tolmie peak, we returned to basecamp for a quick gatorade recharge and to prop up our nearly blistered feet. then back on the trails, this time, headed for what we only knew as 'spray falls.' little did we know of their shear magnitude.
look at the ingenuity of the freaking nps again! what a placement of those logs. hikers adore this stuff. dry feet = happy camper
what the hell! is this a trail?...or a moraine? i guess we'll follow...
speechless....
spray falls is a glacier runoff, dropping 300 feet to the river below. it took our breath away as we stood there for a while, taking in all of it's splendor.my (andrea) breath was also still as i watched brooke hop stone to stone past the 'official' trail end to the other side of the river to get this amazing picture (please do not report this to your local park ranger.) thank God he returned back ok, camera in hand, grin on face.
another great shot brooke took teetering on rocks over the quick rapids of spray creek.
still smiling on the return of a 10.5 mile day of beautiful hiking.
6 comments:
You two are really in your element! The pictures are beautiful, but I am sure don't do the actual scenery justice. Glad you are enjoying getting out in your new surroundings. Wish you could take me in your pocket.
P.S. Dad corrected me....your pipe smokin' grandmother was 3 greats. Maybe that is some consolation that she is a little further removed. But that still doesn't help being related to your mom!
good gravy... is that water really that color?
great shots man... good to know stuff like that still exists out there...
good gravy is right! i thought about stickin' a straw into that lake and drinkin' it dry!
so when are you and renee coming to visit?!
OK... Here we go again... First might I add... GOOD GRAVY is right the water is amazing. I haven't seen water that color in a while. Wait, i just saw it that color in Key West, however; the mountains makes it so much more romantic.
As for the flower, it is a Tiger Lilly. I knew it was, but one i had never seen before. I had to look up lilies to make sure. i found out it was a Columbian Tiger Lily... Hope you have fun... oh and by the way, I found this website for your fun.
http://www.wta.org
i wish i was out there.
Mountains, koolaid water, flowers, berries, fog...aesthetic experience.
As you know I'm very fond of the mountains, and I really enjoyed the photos of the foilage. Sometimes we get caught up in the peeks when the deep beauty is in the subtle things.
Check out Aidan's site, we took him on his first camping trip on Mt. Mitchell (the highest point east of the Mississippi at a whopping 6600 feet, basically a lump compared to your mountains. But I love the mighty hemlocks, Rhododenrom, laurel, and of course my moss. Love you guys, keep going out into the woods.
at least you can get to the top of you mountains!
we are quite avid readers of aidan's blog. we think it's cool that you get him out to the mountains and lakes!
i know you have this thing for moss; which i like!
i think you gave us a new quote for finding nowhere: "Mountains, koolaid water, flowers, berries, fog...aesthetic experience!"
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