I've been to Mount Rainier twice, once in the summer of 2004 and once in the early fall of 2008. There was still a lot of snow at the higher elevations on my first visit, so I did most of my hiking at the lower elevations. On the second visit, however, I did all of my hikes at higher elevations.
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When I visited in the early fall, black bears could be seen fattening themselves on huckleberries on the Skyline Trail in the Paradise area of the park. |
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The higher elevations are a good place to look for birds like the sooty grouse that are usually not found in the lowlands. |
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Black-tailed deer are easily seen in the areas around the Paradise Inn and the Skyline Trail. |
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Hoary marmots are one of my favorite residents of the park and can be seen near the trails in talus fields throughout the park. |
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Like marmots, the little American pika can be seen near the trails in talus fields throughout the park. |
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Like marmots, the little American pika can be seen near the trails in talus fields throughout the park. |
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I saw cute little golden-mantled ground squirrels on every trail I hiked in the Paradise and Sunrise areas of the park. |
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A few of the other mammals I saw in the park, including Townsend’s chipmunks and a long-tailed weasel. |
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Pictures of Mount Rainier (surprise, surprise) and the surrounding area. |