Active steam vents, periodic
earth tremors, and historic eruptions provide evidence that Mount Rainier
is sleeping, not dead. Seismic monitoring stations around the mountains
should provide days or weeks of advance warning of impending eruptions.
Other geologic hazards, however, can occur with little warning, including
debris flows and falling rocks. |
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At 14,410 feet high, Mount Rainier is the tallest peak in the Cascade Range and an icon of the Pacific Northwest. While the mountain's well-known profile is visible for many miles in any direction, its alpine glacier-clad slopes occupy only a third of Mount Rainier National Park. |
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Kautz Creek in Rainier National Park - elevation 2,409 feet |
Below: View from the road of Kautz Creek and the tip of Mt. Rainier. This part of Kautz Creek trail is a short, wheelchair accessible boardwalk and viewpoint. |
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Carter Falls Trail - The two RV Gypsies decided not to worry about getting to the falls because it was so rocky, and they figured that the trail must get steep after the log bridge. Their main interest at this time was the log bridge. Remember that these are a combination of 2013 and 2015 pictures, so the coloration may be different from one photo to another. |
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Below: The same area - in 2013 (Lee Duquette) and in 2015 (Karen, Lee, and Karen's sister Ilse) |
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View of the river from each side of the log bridge |
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Lee Duquette on the log bridge - yes it shook a bit when several people were on it, but not as much as many of the suspension bridges that the two RV Gypsies have been on. But this was a bit different from the regular suspension bridges because it could be easy to fall off of. |
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Below: Karen's sister Ilse Blahak on the bridge in 2015 |
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Karen Duquette steadied her camera on the log bridge to photograph the water flowing underneath, while Lee photographed her backside. |
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The two RV Gypsies walked across the log bridge, took some photos and returned to the parking lot. They decided not to try and find the actual falls. |
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Karen Duquette coming back over the log bridge |
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Karen Duquette felt the temperature of a cascade of water by the roadside |
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First the two RV Gypsies viewed Christine Falls from the roadside bridge. |
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Then the two RV Gypsies walked down a short but steep hill to look at Christine Falls as it flowed under the roadside bridge. (2013) |
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Below: 2015 photos of Christine Falls |
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Karen Duquette took a photo of Lee, who was a few feet below her on the viewing platform at Christine Falls.
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Lee Duquette checked out a big tree laying on the ground by Christine Falls. But they could not see over the big tree for any further photos. |
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Nisqually River - elevation 3,820 feet |
View of Nisqually River from each side of the bridge
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View of Nisqually River from a roadside lookout a bit up the street - looking back towards the bridge. The river was hard to see because the river bed had a lot of rocks on each side of the narrow Nisqually River. |
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Below: Same view in 2013 and 2015
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Views of Mt. Rainier from different lookouts in Mount Rainier National Park in 2013 |
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Views of Mt. Rainier from different lookouts in Mount Rainier National Park in 2015 |
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Narada Falls |
Below: View of Narada Falls as seen the side of the bridge alongside the parking lot (2013) |
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Half way down the trail to Narada Falls, there was a sign "On your way down the trail, you stepped back in geologic history. You walked from a Mount Rainier lava flow less than half a million years old, to the rocks of the Tatoosh Range that were intruded into this area." |
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The two RV Gypsies at Narada Falls in Mount Rainier National Park in 2013. It was a warm day, so they really enjoyed the fine mist spray from Narada Falls. |
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please continue on