Mount Rainier and Puget Sound: Views from the Merrill home.

Taken from Port Orchard, Olalia 

These pictures are from the porch of the Merrill's new home.  You can see it from both the living room and the master bedroom.  Totally cool!  We ran into the Merrills in Omaha at the temple and spent a few minutes together bother they continued their trip.  We went to the Jackson Street Grill for lunch and then to the Pioneer Heritage monuments.  A quick forage to the candy store.  The Merrills are friends of Ty and Natalia.

Port Orchard Southworth to Seattle Ferry on the Puget Sound

 When we were in Port Orchard for Ayden's baptism we visited the zoo just before January 1.  The ferry ride afforded some nice views.  We saw Blake Island and Vashon Island.  When we were in the sound clear of the islands we had a nice view of Mount Rainier which was many miles away.

Space Needle through the trees

Mount Ranier Olympics

I was being negative about the idea, but the camp Olympics were really pretty fun.  Miranda had devised several games where we could compete with young and old alike.  This included airplane throwing, throw the ring on the peg and Frisbee throw for accuracy.  Then we had a relay race and ended the first session with a water over the shoulder relay.  Not a lot of pictures as I was competing. 

After a break we came back for beach towel volley ball.  this is where you try to catch a water balloon in a towel with your partner, and then try to throw it back of the net.  In this case it is well to have people about the same age.  I was with Skylar and just pulled the towel out of his hands. 

Tony, Sheri and I At Christine Falls: Mount Rainier

It was a pretty steep but short hike from the car parking area to the top of Christine Falls.  The actual Christine Falls is hard to see as it is just before the bridge on the main road.  However there are lots of small falls leading up to Christine Falls.

looking up stream from trail bridge

looking down stream

down stream

up stream

Actual Christine Falls from the road.  The rock is part of the bridge and this is looking down.  This is down river from the walking bridge.

Camping at Mount Rainier: Cougar Rock Camp Ground July 30 to Aug 2

A Few more camping pictures.  Most of these are around our campground.

Cougar Rock was pretty fun.  There was a camp-wide program every night.  We went one night and listened to someone talk about ways we are scared.  We also had campfires at camp each night.  This included smores one night, playing murder another, and conversation.  Of course it also included chasing young ones.  Short excursion included the Hanover one morning, and to Paradise another.  We also toured waterfalls--Narada and Christine.  It was a fun week.

Mount Rainier Camping and Nisqually Glacier View Point and Wild Flowers

Here are a few more camping photos.  At Paradise we were looking for a shorter hike, and came upon the Nisqually Glacier View Point as a short hike.  It did have some climbs however.  The Nisqually River, which is a glacier water river has lots of grit in it from the Glacier process.  It does not look appetizing, but rather a whitish brown.

This hike is also known for wildflowers

Finally a couple pictures of Mount Rainier from Paradise