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Mt Rainier Wildlife

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Industry Observer with No Longer Processing Mortgages. MLO #293441 expired

Mt Rainier Wildlife.

As I mentioned the other day regarding our Labor Day (my wife and I) time walking some trails on Mt Rainier - there was also some wildlife to be seen.  In one of the previous pictures there was a bee on the flower.Colorful Cricket on Path

As we were walking there were many crickets on the path.  Some were difficult to see, as they seemed to be the same brown as the path.  Others, though, were easier to pick out, as they had more colors, which made them very visible.

Then there were the Marmots.  Though there are lots of signs telling people not to feed the animals, I don't think the marmots can read.  In one case, there was a family sitting on a rock eating a snack, and the marmot, came up the back side of the rock and appeared to be checking to see if he was going to be able to get some lunch also.

Marmot Looking for Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there was the real excitement.   There was a bear, who was having lunch on the side of a hill.  He was wandering back and forth for a while, apparently sampling the various berries that were available there. He was doing this just a bit above one of the trails, so some folks got a very close up view of him. Then he started Bear Approaching Stream

moving off to the side.  I was fortunate enough to be able to get a few shots as he was going down the hill (and my camera even let me get a couple short videos -- however the quality isn't very good, when trying to hold camera, with the zoom extended to its maximum.)   Then the bear came down the other side of the valley from the path we were on, and I was able to get a couple more shots.  As he was coming down, the marmots were whistling warnings to each other, about this predator being nearby.

My wife made sure everyone who was coming up the trail knew there was a bear for them to see.  This meant we stayed near the end of the paved path for over half an hour, helping people to see him on the far side of the valley, as he worked his way up the hill.   Interestingly, there was another hiking trail at that top of that hill.

Later, as we were heading down to the parking lot, we could see a large traffic jam across another valley, and looking over there, spotted another bear right at the edge of a rock scree, and since the bushes were apparently a bit taller over there, did not get to see much of him, as he moved into the brush, and would only pop out a bit for a short period of time.

Posted by

 

Steven CookSteven T Cook
Loan Officer, MLO-293441      

Cascade Pacific Home Loans  NMLS ID 76988
720 S 333rd St  Federal Way  WA  98003
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Toll Free 1-800-874-8760 | fax 253-295-3901
scook@cphloans.com | www.bayeq.com

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Comments(17)

Curtis Van Carter
Better Homes & Gardens Wine Country Group - Yountville, CA
Your Napa Valley Broker Extraordinaire

Steven

I visited the Mt Rainier many years ago in early July. Being it being my first trip my friend and I were very excited to camp there for a couple and hike parts of the Mtn. Upon arriving, they had so much the previous winter, virtually everything was still closed except for a few primitive sites.

We spent the night and early the next morning hiked for a few hours picking out what we thought could be the summit. The next morning we left and were about 20 miles away when we came around a bend in the road and lo and behold, there was Rainier in all its majesty. It turn out we were only hiking near some glaciers in the 5-6,000 foot elevation area.

What a truly magnificant place, cheers cvc

Sep 07, 2012 04:31 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Curtis -- it can be very deceiving when one is there, as it is SOO very large.  And yes, July can be very frustrating, as there can be a lot of snow over everything - and the clouds can hide other things one hopes to see.

Sep 07, 2012 04:38 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Many of the animals can become dependent on us and not as cautous as they should be.

Sep 07, 2012 08:04 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Bill -- it looked like most of the people were trying to abide by the rules and not provide any handouts to the beggers.  Fortunately the bear was keeping his distance from people, so that wasn't a problem with him.

Sep 07, 2012 08:08 AM
Than Maynard
Coldwell Banker Heart of Oklahoma - Purcell, OK
Broker - Licensed to List & Sell - 405-990-8862

Would prefer the bear stay on the other side of the valley if I was there!

Sep 07, 2012 08:42 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Than -- fortunately he did that, else there might have been a riotous evacuation of the trails.  He looked to be only a yearly, from those who were on the trail closest to him.

Sep 07, 2012 08:48 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Steven you are a man of your word and posted more picture.  That picture of the bear would be a lot fuzzier if that was me taking the picture .......... LOL

Sep 07, 2012 10:23 AM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Sounds like you had a big adventure.  Glad you are smelling the roses and seeing nature.

Sep 08, 2012 11:12 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

George  -- He was far enough away that I wasn't too concerned. ;-)

Rob -- one has to take some time for self, or everything else collapses.  Thanks for commenting.

Sep 10, 2012 03:29 AM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Thanks for sharing this Steven.  I would have been very excited to see this myself, as long as those bears were a good distance away!  :-)

Sep 12, 2012 09:03 PM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Gabe -- the bears were a good ways off -- pictures were taken with 18x.  My best guess is closest was about 1/4 mile away.  Though that might not have seemed far enough if he had started heading our way!

Sep 13, 2012 05:42 AM
Laura Giannotta
Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore - Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Your Realtor Down the Shore!

Steven what a great day that must have been!  Thanks for sharing those photos.

Sep 13, 2012 06:11 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Laura -- thank you for stopping by.  Yes, it as a great day.  I have a few more pictures I need to get up on AR yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

Sep 13, 2012 06:16 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Steven, watching wildlife is quite the treat!    Looks similar to our mountainous areas and bears can be found too!

Sep 28, 2012 10:50 PM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Joan - thank you for stopping by.  Your part of the country is also beautiful.  You even have a mountain or two higher than ours.

Sep 29, 2012 03:23 PM
Joshua Zargari
MJ Decorators Workshop LI staging and home decorating - Lynbrook, NY
MJ Decorators Workshop

Good morning Steve.

It is on my must see list.

Enjoy the day.

Oct 13, 2012 11:48 PM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Joshua -- thanks for stopping by.  If you get up this way -- we actually have 2 large auto museums, and a motorcyle museum all within 10 miles of each other.

Oct 15, 2012 03:56 AM