Sunday, September 20, 2009

That Tricky Ol' Mt Rainier


After leaving our motel, we headed west across fields and fields of hay. They have giant watering systems because it is so dry on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. We came to a giant gorge with the Columbia River at the base of it. We then drove into the valley and when we came up the other side we saw the unmistakable Mt Rainier in the distance. It was a clear day and being over 14,000' in altitude, it stood well above everything else. We decided to try to get closer so we got off I-90 to drive near it. The closer and closer we got, the harder it was to see. Then when we finally got a view, there were too many clouds around it. (We had been told that it is shrouded in clouds so much that some people say that Mt. Rainier is just a myth!) We decided to give up and head back up to Seattle. Just a few miles up the road, we turned around, looked back, and were rewarded with a magnificent view. The clouds were gone! Unfortunately, Mike K was driving and didn't get to see it. Maybe he'll get to see it on the way south to Portland.
Tomorrow we explore Seattle.

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