It's the middle of July, and that means that at 6,000 feet, exciting things are happening at Mount Rainier. The Marmots are running around in the meadows, the ground squirrels and chipmunks are beginning to gather food and nesting materials, and probably most exciting of all, the wildflowers are preparing for peak bloom here in just a couple short weeks.
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| A skittish Hoary Marmot along the Wonderland Trail at Sunrise. Photo by Micah K. |
The past two weeks at Rainier I have seen such a dazzling array of wildflowers that it staggers the imagination. Even as a geology student, wandering through the trail and observing the various flora is just awesome. Couple this with the fun aspects of wildlife activity, and it makes for quite a treat. The other day at Sunrise I saw a chipmunk climb over ten feet into a tree and then hang upside down to sip at the dew gathering on the end of a Subalpine Fir branch.
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| An acrobatic Chipmunk. Photo by Micah K. |
And let's not forget the wildflowers.
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| Heather and Scarlet Paintbrush. Photo by Micah K. |
Oh my gosh the wildflowers.....
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Beargrass in bloom, individual plants only bloom every seven years! Photo by Micah K.
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Things are coming to life here at Mount Rainier, and I can't wait to see what else is right around the corner.
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