Do you know -
Paradise (Mt.Rainier National Park, WA) is the snowiest place on Earth
where snowfall is measured regularly
(According to the National Park Service)?
Paradise (Mt.Rainier National Park, WA) is the snowiest place on Earth
where snowfall is measured regularly
(According to the National Park Service)?
Late October
Nisqually Entrance
"Between the entrance and Longmire the road follows the north side of the Nisqually River, named for the Native American tribe that lived along its valley.
The grand old-growth forest in this area is largely made up of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar.
Some of these trees reach diameters exceeding 8 feet, heights over 200 feet, and ages of 700 years.
Hot forest fires and thick mud flows reset the stage for new forests to grow, and trees that die of old age often become nurse logs for new trees, giving old growth forests trees of many ages.
Hot forest fires and thick mud flows reset the stage for new forests to grow, and trees that die of old age often become nurse logs for new trees, giving old growth forests trees of many ages.
Roughly 1,000 years is the age of the oldest trees in Pacific Northwest forests.
The forest canopy here is so dense that only a few deciduous trees -- like vine maple and dogwood --
compete for the scattered sunlight that filters through, while bigleaf maple, cotton wood and red alder hug the riverbanks."
compete for the scattered sunlight that filters through, while bigleaf maple, cotton wood and red alder hug the riverbanks."
Longmire Visitor Center. Elevation 2,761 feet
Paradise. 19 miles from the entrance to the Park. Elevation 5,400 feet
Christine Falls
"From the perspective of a human lifespan the Cascade Range may seem tranquil and unchanging,
but the geologic past and future of the Pacific Northwest has been and will again be interrupted by many violent earthquake jolts and volcanic eruptions.
Mount Rainier, born in fire, torn by ice; that will be its epitaph.
As of now the fires are not dead, only sleeping, and in a possibly warming world the tooth and claw of the glaciers may diminish.
Most episodes in the creation and destruction of the volcano will never be known,
but several of the larger or more recent events have left their record in the rocks."
***Copyright 2015 TatyanaS
Thank you for the road trip! I didn't make it there this summer but so glad you were able to capture the beauty of Mt. Rainier for all of us to enjoy. I could almost smell the moss and evergreen trees and feel the crisp, cool air from the river and dwindling glacier. I've been fortunate enough to be at Paradise and hear the glacier move. My first thought was that a huge bear must be nearby. I didn't know whether to run or lay down and play dead. The photos from the car with the trees blurred and the buildings focused are most unusual, too. And the close-ups of Mt. Rainier are awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow! Karen, thank you! What a unique experience! I think I'd be very scared, then I'd think that's a volcano waking up, and then... just.... run!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful grandeur! Thank you for sharing your trip.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady
Thank you Lorraine!
DeleteOMG it really is beautiful, awesome and also scary all in big proportions. Your shots with movement, i guess you're inside your moving car, you're so good that the buildings can be focused despite the movement. Great! My trip to NZ invoked the same emotions but maybe in a smaller scale, although the volcanoes activities are not to be discounted on. Because NZ per se, is made by volcanoes.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea! I don't think I'd ever go to NZ, it's too far, that is why I like your posts!
DeleteWe live fairly close to the Nisqually entrance to the park and so many pictures here are show familiar sights to us, yet you've captured them so beautifully you reminded me of the truly awesome creation surrounding our area that I often take for granted. Stunning !
ReplyDeleteKathy, thank you so much for taking the time to write! You live in a majestic place! And I am lucky to be able to drive only 1,5 hours to see it. We just want that volcano to sleep for a thousand years...
DeleteGorgeous, gorgeous! I feel like I was right there with you experiencing the road trip. That guest house is a beautiful, grand structure. Thanks for taking us along with you. :)
ReplyDeleteBeth, thank you! I like the pictures of Wisconsin that you share with your readers!
DeleteThis is indeed to Paradise and back, what a beautiful nature. Thank you for showing us your trip to Mount Rainier!
ReplyDeleteThank you Janneke! Have a great November!
DeleteA paradise, indeed ! Gorgeous pictures ! Thank you, Tania !
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like our mountain, Dani! Thanks!
DeleteAs I scrolled through each photo saying "oh" "ah" & "wow" I knew
ReplyDeleteI could never live anyplace else without the beautiful trees.
Your photos capture the grandeur of how magnificent
they truly are.
Linda
Hi Linda! You described so well my feelings too! And what trees we have here! Thanks!
DeleteThank you for taking me someplace new. I felt like I was in the back seat of your car with blurry colors and sights whizzing by.
ReplyDeleteThank you Les!
DeleteStunning, Tatyana! I love the phrase 'born in fire, torn by ice.' You live in a beautiful part of the country. P. x
ReplyDeleteSomehow I have missed every seeing the NW corner of our country, but these photos are just how I imagine it! Someday I will need to visit!
ReplyDeleteI have seen this peak from many vantage points while in Seattle or flying to Seattle, but never this close.....I adore this post.
ReplyDelete