The parking lot was moved because of all the rocks that fell off Mt. Wow over a month ago. Can't believe how large the rocks are.
We took a break at about 2 1/2 miles and spotted a mother deer with her two fawns. They were so adorable, but could not get any closer to take a picture.
The wild flowers are also out and in full bloom. The Avalanche Lilies were amazing! They covered the sides of the trails.
We found a nice campsite near the lake. We were the only ones there, but a couple camped way above us later in the afternoon. There are 5 camp sites there and one group site. It was so quiet. We could only hear the white sound of the waterfalls near our campsite.
On Friday, we hiked on the trail to Gobblers Nob Lookout. As we were hiking up there, we ran into a good friend, Joe, on the trail. It was so good to see him and visit with him.
We did get into some snow patches. The last 400 feet to the Lookout, there were a couple patches of steep snow slopes, but we managed to make it okay across the slope. When we got to the Lookout, the views were amazing! The view of Mt. Rainier was awesome, as well as the view of the valley below us. We could see Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Mt. Wow, and Mt. Beljica. Also, Lake George way below us. What a great way to spend the 4th of July, in beautiful Mt. Rainier Park. We had lunch there and stayed for about an hour absorbing in all the beauty that surrounded us. As we were coming down, we ran into a couple with two little kids, and also another couple coming up.
When we got back to camp, we had a nice dinner and just enjoyed our surroundings. We had a great night's sleep and headed back on Saturday. As we were coming down the trail we ran into a man with his two children. They were from Chicago. We had a really nice conversation with him. He is a school teacher. He and his wife take their children on hikes and backpacks every summer to different states and national parks as well as Canada. They have been doing this since the kids were babies. They prepare their children by telling them about the areas they will be going to and its history. What great parents! And what a great backpack trip! Looking forward to the next one!
Rocks that fell off Mt. Wow
Quite the hole.
Ted next to rock he liked and wanted to take home! ha!
Crossing the creek.
Little fawn with its mother. So precious!
Less than a mile to go!
Coffee tastes great in the early morning.
Beautiful waterfalls near our campsite.
Beautiful Lake George
Shelter one can stay in and not have to take a tent.
Our little tent. This is our 4th one, they keep getting smaller!
Avalanche Lily, so beautiful.
Hundreds of lilies carpeted the forest.
Ted hiking up the trail to the Lookout.
Great view of the mountain going up to the Lookout.
There's the Lookout!
Great view of Mt. Ranier
Gobblers Nob Lookout
Inside of the Lookout. I don't think rangers stay there anymore.
4th of July. God Bless America!
Happy 4th!
Proud to be an American!
You can barely see the Lookout, went all the way up there!
Beautiful Lake George and Mt. Wow in background.
