Climb every mountain

Trout Lily

Wildflowers on the trail

 

View from the trail - Mt. Rainier is in the distance.

My new favorite lunch spot.

Wildflowers at the summit.

More wildflowers on the trail.

Wildflowers!

Avalanche lily - in yellow.  

A small, but noisy waterfall.

Wild rhodies.

While the rest of the U.S. is suffering through a heat wave, we in the Pacific Northwest have only made it to 80 degrees on a few occasions.  We've had a wet and cold winter, followed by wet and cold spring, and now a wet and cold summer.  I actually like it because I don't have to water that often, but the result of this is that hiking is really a lost cause this year.  We had higher than average snowfalls and because its been so cool, the snow isn't melting like it should be.  This was my first high elevation hike of the year and I expected to see tons of wildflowers, but the truth is that there is still lots of snow up there in the mountains and the wildflowers are just starting to peek out.  It is odd to see rhododendrons blooming this late in the year, but I did get to see a Trout Lily which was a first for me.  Still, any day hiking is a good day. Nothing beats eating your lunch and admiring the scenery.