Friday, August 8th, 2008
Mt Rainier National Park
Paradise is famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. When James Longmire’s daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed, “This must be what Paradise is like.” The park’s main visitor center, the Jackson Visitor Center, is located at Paradise. This area is also the prime winter-use area in the park, receiving on average 680 inches of snow per year. Winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and tubing. The road between Longmire and Paradise is plowed throughout the winter.
Paradise Inn located within Mt Rainier National Park
Site of the camp from which General Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump made the ascent of this mountain, 17 August 1870.
Taking a rest from hiking Mt Rainier. I never thought I would be hiking in snow in August.
Wildflowers along the trails
We were hiking along when we heard loud whistles that were grower louder and louder as we hiked down the mountain. We spotted a Marmot in a burrow and then saw a Coyote crossing in path in front of us. We discovered that Marmots typically live in burrows, and hibernate there through the winter. Most marmots are highly social, and use loud whistles to communicate with one another, especially when alarmed.
Coyote
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