Tag Archives: Paradise

Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

A virtual visit to the Mountain-part 1

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I am supposed to be at Mount Rainier right now, on our annual trip. But it got canceled. Every year is different, depending on when the snow melts, how warm the summer is and how much rainfall, you can have totally different flowers blooming.

These are from the year 2014. It was a cool, misty week and the lupines were amazing.

The valley carved out by the Nisqually Glacier on Mount Rainier.
Four point buck mule deer in a meadow of lupines.
Close-up of a clump of lupines growing in amonst heather.
A paved trail passing through meadows of lupines and magenta indian paintbrush near Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Meadow of blooming flowers near Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Meadow of lupines with jagged mountains and a cloudy sky.
Golden mantled ground squirrel.
Meadow of bear grass flowers with Mount Rainier in the background.
Wooley marmot ready to make a quick get-away into a stony cave.

Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Magic Mountain

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Better than any ride at Disneyland! The lupines along this portion of the trail were amazing.

These are some photos of the upper (higher elevation) portion of the lakes loop trail starting at Paradise. We had a misty but bright morning the day we hiked the loop.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge

Flowers, Snapshots from a Happy Life

A rosy (and fluffy) outlook

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Close-up of a rosy spirea in the alpine meadows at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Rosy spirea up close and personal.

I’m still working on all of the pictures I took at Paradise earlier this month. This is a rosy spirea. This year they were just a bit past their prime. Here is one from last year. Its not quite as close-up, but the details are pretty good.

Rosy spirea in the alpine meadows at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Last year they were a little fresher than this year.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

I think I can’t, but then I do

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The Golden Gate Trail is the skinny zigzag up the side of the hill.

One of the more breathtaking (and, for me, breathless) loop trails that I hike at Mount Rainier is to go up Golden Gate trail to the skyline trail to Panorama Point.

Skyline Trail is well named.

The lower skyline trail is permanently closed, except for those adept with ice axes. So up one goes even farther.

There is a spot on the Upper Skyline Trail that has much better views than Panorama Point does:

But Panorama Point has a potty (as well as crowds of the many folk who hike directly to and from it starting at the visitor center.

I never go into this hike thinking I will make it, I give myself permission before I start to just go as far as I can and enjoy the beauty that I see, but I always do.

If you ever get a chance to go to Paradise, this is a great loop since many do not go beyond the there and back to Panorama Point, so you have less crowded trails. By hiking up Golden Gate in the morning you get shade for the steepest uphill. When you get above the tree line there is usually a nice breeze for the (not entirely insignificant) remainder of the uphill. There is some scree scramble but not too bad. If it helps you to gauge: I hike in hiking shoes (not boots), carry a mono-pod/hiking stick and don’t have exceptionally good balance. I am a bit nervous, but have never had a problem.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Challenge