Flower Report at Mount Rainier

I thought I would interrupt my Glacier NP trip report with a flower report from a park much closer to us - Mount Rainier.

I've spent the last several days visiting Spray Park and the Sunrise area. Spray Park is very nice right now, especially if you are a fan of lupine and like it in large doses. Nice amounts of paintbrush can also be found. Variety is another story. There isn't much of it. Asters are just beginning to form and are at least another week away for the most part. Glacier lilies can still be found in the higher reaches of the park, to give you an idea how things are developing.

Sunrise is a different story right now. It is bare. Though most all common flower varieties can be found in bloom right now, they are in very small doses and have to be searched out. Again, it looked as though the asters were just starting to form and could be a week or more away. Still, I can't be certain that it will be a good showing here this year. Hope to be proved wrong!

I have not been down to the Paradise/Longmire area yet, but have received reports from friends Jon Cornforth and Robert and Kathy Chrestensen.

Jon scored a nice image at Reflections Lakes, but was disappointed in Paradise Meadows, which he believed to be at least another 1-2 weeks away.

Robert and Kathy visited Emerald Ridge and found a nice showing of lupine. Emerald Ridge is most easily reached via the old Tahoma Trail from the West Side Road.

I hope some of this helps you with your planning!