Still in Seattle area and we decided to take a day drive down & around Mt. Rainier. It is southeast and on a clear day it can be seen from the city since it is 14,143` elevation. It is a long day drive but worth the time.
It has this impressive gate as an entrance but the mountain is the "main course".
There are waterfalls everwhere on the drive around the mountain because of the snow melting. They make great places to stop and enjoy the scenery.
We took a hike to a the Grove of the Patiarchs which is a protected area of 1,000 year old trees. It was a 1.5 mile hike through a old growth forest on a raise walkway.
These are called The Twins and you can get an idea of their size. There is also a situation where a big tree falls and new trees start to grow out of it - they call the fallen tree a "mother tree".
There were many of these "mother trees" in this area. An almost prehistoric setting in these old trees.
Here is another of the old trees with my friend for compairson, it make her look so small!
Of course there are many critters but this one stopped just long enough to let me get a shot of him/her.
One last look at Mt. Rainier but this time from the south side, looking north. The day was so bright & slightly overcast that it was hard to deal with the contrast, but you get the picture (no pun intended).
The road took us to an elevation of 5,420` at a place called Paradise Valley and a great old lodge. I will leave you with a look inside the lodge and its unusal constructioned furniture.
Adios
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