Summer/Fall 2011 Pacific N/W: 10/04/11

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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 42

We drove to Nehalem Bay State Park on the coast of Oregan today, a 140 mile trip. The park is not right on the beach with an ocean view, but the water is just over the "hill", kind of like a Lake Michigna State Park. However, it's pouring rain and I'm not going out to look. I hear it (the ocean), and I can smell it, but I'm not going to fight the elements tonight to see it. Very windy and wet.

I still have last day of Mt. Rainier pictures to post, but just to lazy to do so now.

Will update tomorrow.

Day 41

Monday, our 41st day, was what we knew it would be - a washout due to rain and fog. We still drove over 100 miles through a different area of the park but found no sight of the top of Mt. Rainier. And the one and only time we would have liked to have snow on the ground, the forecasted 2-4 inches never came overnight.

We did take pictures of the areas we visited but can't get them posted until tomorrow.

On edit: it's now Wednesday and just getting pictures posted.

Road pictures on the way into the park. We are starting to see "color change" in the scenery. Love it.

The inevitable....rain

River bed inside the park. Imagine the amount of water that comes shooting down the valleys with the Spring thaw
and heavy rain. It brings down trees and anything in its path.

The rivers that flow thru the park are mostly a "milky white" color due to what is called glacial flour. This is an indication of glacial movement. There are 26 major glaciers that are on Mt. Rainier and the ice is blue because it is compressed and compacted and very thick

Lots of moss on all kinds of trees. This is a very moist environment

Can't help it! Our ever patient daughter. One thing about the cooler temperatures; Isabelle loves the sightseeing drives

Colors are starting to turn

This is basically a river of rock during the spring thaw. Now just a trickle, but one can only try to imagine standing on this bridge when the river is flowing full of rock and water. I must sound like a tornado!

This is what we hoped to see but had to settle for a picture of a picture at the Visitor Center on top. This is pretty close to what the view would have been - we are actually that close.