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Karen
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
Karen
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PostWed Jul 23, 2003 11:30 am 
Arrived at Paradise 7-22-03 to see the flowers. A weekday is about the only time you can find a place to park and if you get an early enough start the crowds are not too bad. Besides, I don't mind sharing popular trails like these with crowds -- isn't it why we have those paved trails? Oddly enough it's not the visitors that are creating the problem with the flower meadows at Paradise -- it's the trees! The forest is gradually taking over the meadows and the flower meadows are getting smaller in some places. However, there's still enough to last most of us a lifetime (I hope). I had every intention of staying on the paved paths and behaving myself but when I got to the Moraine trail and a sign saying it was end of the maintained trail, I kept going, of course. The trail keeps going, so why not me? This trail may be unofficial or abandoned but it's in good shape and descends to the Nisqually Glacier and follows the crest of the moraine. I like prowling around moraines and this one was no exception. Screaming marmots and the clatter of rocks and only two other hikers around the whole time I was there. Ended up making a loop back up to Glacier Vista and colorful clusters of hikers gathered on the rocks looking at The Mountain. I behaved myself the rest of the afternoon and stayed on the paved rock-bordered trails. Of course, most of the flowers were nowhere near the borders of the trails. The avalanche lilies are looking a bit tuckered out except on the unofficial continuation of the Moraine trail. There's a whole hillside of them tucked away in a shady place and they are absolutely gorgeous. On the main trails I saw plenty of Magenta Paintbrush, pasque flowers, speedwell, pussy toes, a few Jeffreys shooting stars, partridgefoot, heather, bistort, lupine .... and more (some I need to I-D). Went into the gift shop at Paradise Lodge to buy a chilled coffee and I felt oddly out of place therein. The shop was full of tourists and I was the only grungy, sweaty hiker in there (I was still wearing my pack and in my boots with cameras hanging around my neck -- not a pretty sight). The young clerk (a hostile male) looked at me like I was pond scum (how DARE you come in here, you dirty hiker you!) and told me to "be careful". I'm not what he meant by that remark -- maybe he was afraid my pack would knock the figurines asunder, who knows? Drove back home the long way (via Stevens Canyon) so I could re-visit Sunbeam Creek, one of my favorite photography stops. But it was disappointing. Not much to photograph. On the other side of the highway an mostly unseen waterfall (with no feasible approach) can be glimpsed from the bridge. If any of (besides Catwoman) are into cats you might want to know that Oreo, the resident cat at Wapiti Woolies on Highway 410 has passed on. He had to be put down because of kidney failure. He was a great cat and just as sweet as his name. As for Paradise, my feeling is that the flower show is not going to go on much longer. Go now if you can. Karen
Nisqually Glacier 7-22-03
Nisqually Glacier 7-22-03

stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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