Mt Ranier National Park

Mt Ranier is a mountain wonderland famous for dense forests, dazzling wildflower meadows,  waterfalls, tremendous snowfields, and rugged glaciers.  The mountain makes its own weather -- it is a behemoth sentinel over Seattle and all of western/central Washington.

So dense forests, snowpack, water falls, wildflowers....it all sounds like it takes a bit of water to maintain THAT environment.  Let's go see!

We arrived under gray skies with a forecast for a couple of inches of rain.  Umm.  Would we see the mountain??  The ranger smiled.  No.  Oh well.

We hiked in a drizzle and discovered our raincoats are no longer water proof (or water resistant.)  And we sat inside Bessie warm and dry while it rained.

We eventually ventured out and did a long hike under gray, maybe clearing skies.  Then suddenly -- BLUE SKY and WHITE MOUNTAIN!!  We raced up the road to Paradise at about 5,500 feet to stare at the 14,410 foot peak.   We were in awe.  And about 90 minutes later the clouds encompassed the peak.  By the time we were back to the campground....rain.  Rain for another day.  But we were moving on thrilled to have had a peak at Tahoma, the dormant but ever present volcano!

Treated to a special peak at Tahoma!  We were thrilled!

Green, lush, and dripping vegetation

Sort of the "bob for apples" version in a mushroom.  DEADLY -- don't even touch!