Mt Rainier: A good place for accidental finds
My stay in Mt Rainier did not exactly go as planned. My flight was canceled more than once the first time while I was onboard, the second time after I awoke early in the AM to head back to the airport. After switching airports and airlines, I was finally able to get to Seattle around midnight, only my hotel forgot to leave the key taped to the office and no one answered the after hours line. Eventually, I was able to get in as they fortunately left the room door open and after wandering the hallways I saw it. On the drive up the road to the hotel there were numerous deer and one large elk in the road. Early the next morning following a couple of hours of sleep, I headed to sunrise to look for wildlife. There in the rock scrambles were pika. A short distance later I encountered goats at frozen lake. I went back to the hotel and had a delightful lunch at the top of the gondola before going back to sleep and moving to Paradise side the next day. The paradise side is a bit of a disaster as it’s completely overrun with people but still there is wildlife there. First I found a bear on the High Lakes trail. Unfortunately it was 3pm or so and I was not expecting wildlife so I had to use a wide angle lens. The bear has little interest in moving out of the way and I eventually walked around her. On the skyline loop I saw a number of deer and very tame marmots and other rodents. I had only looked into the hiking part of it so I was pleasantly surprised to have several animal encounters.
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