The rest of the story...

Anna Writes:

Ok, here are the rest of the pictures we promised several weeks ago. First, Emily and I hiked Mt. Ellinor with Riley and the mountain goats had it out for us! They came within two feet of us, and were focused on Riley. I have since learned that mountain goats have very poor vision up close, which is probably why they came so close, but it was kinda scary at the time!
Riley was a trooper for the grueling hike (elevation gain of 1,500 feet in 1.6.miles!), but for the last quarter of the hike I put him in the backpack so that he didn't spook the goats. He was perfectly content with that and rode along in the pack like he does it everyday. He was curious about the goats, but also a little bit scared cause it was obvious they were focused on figuring out what he was. When we reached the top and sat for a bit, it took prodding to get him out of the pack.
This is the view of Mt. Olympus from Mt. Ellinor. It was a nice view, and while we could see Mt. Rainier in the distance it was hazy and not a great view of Rainer.

Some More Random Pictures

Anna Writes:

Well, I had a couple of other posts planned, but my jump drive isn't working correctly, so not all of the pictures that I wanted to include are available right now. So here's a smattering of pictures from various things over the last few weeks. Consider them a preview of blogs to come!

My friend Emily, Riley (the dog) and I climbed Mt. Ellinore and almost got eaten by Mountain Goats! It was exciting.... Here's one of the goats that had it out for us:

I bought a dresser at a garage sale and re-finished it. It was a simple piece of furniture for my first attempt at stripping, staining, etc., but it turned out well and I had so much fun. I especially loved using the power sander!
We went to the Chittenden Locks to see the salmon running, and also to the botanical gardens...So...more to come on all of these adventures when we solve our technical difficulties!

It's been a Long Time....

Anna Writes:

Not having internet service at home significantly limits our ability to post on our blog regularly. But we are still here! Here are a few pictures from our more recent adventures:

Several weeks ago I was able to climb Tolmie Peak with a few friends. It's a climb that I have wanted to do since last year, but the trail is only open from late July until late September/early October due to snow. It was worth the wait!!! It was a GREAT climb with spectacular views. We started at the trailhead at Mowich Lake, in Mt. Rainier National Park. From there we hiked on trails, gaining elevation as we enjoyed the forest views....
Then we came to a meadow that was full of beautiful mountain wildflowers:
Then we came to Eunice Lake....If you look closely at the top of the ridge you can see the fire lookout tower at the top of the ridge, just a little square-ish speck. That is where we were headed; a long way up!
As we climbed the ridge and gained more elevation, Mt Rainier came into view. It was SPECTACULAR:

The higher we went, the better the view. This is Lake Eunice with Mt Rainier in the background. The picture doesn't do it justice; the water of the lake is glacial run off and it was an incredible blue, and so clear that even when we got to the fire lookout tower you could see logs and rock at the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately, with the sun I couldn't get a picture that depicted it.
Finally, the fire lookout tower!
We enjoyed lunch on the tower, and as we relaxed fog rolled in. It was fun to watch it swirl and move, but it obstructed our view of the mountain!

Great Hike!