Mt. Rainier, Two Months Later

Mt. Rainier is famous for its flowers and we took our previous hike at the peak period, but I got inspired to return in late Summer/early Fall when I looked up the trail on the Mt. Rainier National Park site.  When I saw pictures of the Fall foliage, I knew I wanted to return.

We definitely weren’t disappointed when we did so. 

Fall Colors on Mt. Rainier

For the first half of our walk, we were immersed in brilliant Fall colors.

Meadow with Fall Colors

The second half of the hike was quite different but equally impressive. 

Waterfall from Melting Glacier

There’s no way to convey the magnificent mountain through photographs, but the barely visible people in the lower, right-hand corner suggest just how massive it truly is.

Looking Back Down the Trail

This was our longest hike of the season, and by the time we got to our destination on the Overlook, it was hard to see the parking lot far below.

Looking Down at the Lodge

Tired or not, it was hard not to feel you were at the top of the world looking down on the rest of the Cascades.  

Cascades to the South of Mt. Rainier

My knees were definitely barking by the time we arrived back at the meadows, but it was impossible to complain surrounded by such beauty.

Although this wasn’t our last hike of the season, or even the last hike on Mt. Rainier, it seemed like the climax of the season.  

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