High Skyline Loop Trail

Drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier NP to hike the High Skyline Loop Trail, and part of the Paradise Glacier Trail for a 6.25 mile hike with 1,600 ft of gain. The haze from the California fires was mostly to the south and the air quality was "good".  The fall colors are starting, and there were still some wildflowers blooming! Saw several marmots and a bear in the distance.  

Some fall colors near the visitor center area. I like to do the loop counterclockwise. Besides a photographer at Myrtle Falls, I didn't see any other hikers the first 3 hours of this hike.

I was at Myrtle Falls as the morning sun began to light up the top Mt Rainier.

The sun continued to light up Mt Rainier as I made my way to Edith Creek above Myrtle Falls.

Some purple asters still in bloom along the trail.

Lots of ripe huckleberries on the trail heading towards Mazama Ridge. Tatoosh Peaks in the distance.

Creek by the trail

View of Paradise River on the way up Mazama Ridge

Views of Mt Rainier on the way up Mazama Ridge

Watching the sun rise on Mazama Ridge

View of Mt Rainier and Little Tahoma from Mazama Ridge

Up in the distance, I could see a black bear feasting on the ripe berries.

fuzzy zoom photo of the black bear

There were lots of pasqueflower seed heads.

I hiked about 0.4 mile up the Paradise Glacier Trail to this small tarn, before returning to the Skyline Loop Trail.

One of the bridges on this section of the Skyline Loop Trail is gone, and I carefully walked across the rocks on the trail to keep my feet dry.

Monkeyflowers in bloom

Far up this creek, I saw yellow asters and more monkeyflowers in bloom.

Wide angle view of Mt Rainier from above Panorama Point:

View of Mt Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier on the way down from Panorama Point.

some of the marmots seen along the trail this morning

Looking back at Mt Rainier as I hiked down towards the Alta Vista Trail.

There is some nice fall colors along the Alta Vista Trail, view of Mt Rainier to the north and

view of Tatoosh Peaks to the southeast

field full of aster seed heads

butterflies on pearly everlasting

butterfly on an aster

bee on an aster

Fall colors back near the parking area

some of the wildflowers seen along the trail this morning: