2014-10-16_Paul Peak Trail

IMG 2483xSunbeams960 IMG 2466xRainier960 Mt Rainier on the drive in IMG 2470xEarlyTrail960 Early portion of the trail. IMG 2471xSunBeams960 The fog in the trees produced some sunbeams.
IMG 2481xSunbeams960 IMG 2485xSunbeamTrail960 Sunbeam lighting up the trail IMG 2486xTrail960 This is one of the least hiked trails in the park. IMG 2493xMeadowCreekBridge960 The bridge across Meadow Creek
IMG 2497xTrail960 The forest floor is like a rain forest. IMG 2501xTrail960 IMG 2503xTrail960 IMG 2505xTrail960
IMG 2506xTrail960 I turned the corner at the west ridge of Paul peak and the terrain and ground cover changed. IMG 2508xLittleFern960 IMG 2509xTrails960 A long and straight section of the trail IMG 2511xLongTrail960
IMG 2513xSquirrel960 This squirrel gave me a piece of it's mind. IMG 2517xFirstSwitchback960 IMG 2518xNarrowTrail960 IMG 2520xPtarmiganRidge960 A blown down of trees has opened small views of Mt. Rainier.
IMG 2521xNeedle960 Mowich Glacier. That's Needle Rock sticking up out of the glacier on the left. IMG 2527xBlowDown960 Looking at the blow-down area. IMG 2528xSMowichRiver960 The south fork of the Mowich River. IMG 2532xBlowDown960 The trail switchbacking throught the blow downs
IMG 2540xDrops960 These tree mushrooms collect or produce water droplets. IMG 2545xMowichTrail960 This is the Wonderland Trail. The trail up leads to Mowich Lake. IMG 2550xMossTrail960 The bottom of the trail returns to the heavily mossy rainforest feel. IMG 2557xTrail960
IMG 2563xSpikerWeb960 A hard working spider. IMG 2566xOutHouse960 The outhouse near the shelter at South Mowich River Camp. IMG 2567xCampSite960 The group camp site. IMG 2570xShelterFront960 The only remaining shelter. At one time there were three.
IMG 2572xShelterWall960 IMG 2573xShetlerCorner2 960 IMG 2574xShelterCorner960 IMG 2575xShelterCeiling960
IMG 2576xShelterOut960 IMG 2580xShelterLSide960 IMG 2581xShelter960 IMG 2583xShelter960
IMG 2585xShelterLSide960 IMG 2590xRiver960 Looking up the river. I tried to walk to a vantage point to get a good shot of Rainier, but couldn't. IMG 2593xPaulPeak960 Paul Peak IMG 2593xPaulPeak960Text
IMG 2599xRock960 Interesting rock in the river bed amoung the river rocks. IMG 2603xMushroom960 IMG 2605xToilet960 IMG 2606xRooms960
IMG 2608xWondTrailSign960 The sign at the shelter cutoff trail IMG 2610xTrail960 Heading back IMG 2615xNMowichRiver960 The bridge over the South Fork again IMG 2616xJelly960 Tree Jelly mushrooms
IMG 2624xMushDrips960 IMG 2648xRainier960 Mt Rainier again from the blow down area. IMG 2654xTrail960 IMG 2657xTrail960
IMG 2664xRainierOut960 Mt Rainier from the road on the drive back.