Little Flamingo's Little World: July 2007

Our First 4th of July Family Camping Trip to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Reflection Lake, named for obvious reasons...

A wounded butterfly tickling the little bird...

It scared her once it got too close to her face...

Beginning of our hike to one of the glaciers.

View from atop one of the ridges where we ate lunch.

Looking down...

In the very center of this photo, you can se several small dots, those are hikers either boot-sledding or snowboarding back down.

Taking turns packing the wee one. She so badly wanted to walk, but it was far too slippery with the snow melting below us, so she was stuck in the pack for this hike.

Isn't it gorgeous? Oh, I loved it!

I just can't get enough of these views!

Little (tropical) bird+cold snow= :(

Until she gets to throw snowballs at Daddy photographer!

No, YOU wear it, Daddy, I don't want you to get burned.

Could you imagine working this construction site, it'd be high-risk because you'd always be distracted by the view! They're working to repair damage done from the November 2006 Flood.

A very large tree ring at our campground, Ohanapecosh Campground. It began growing in 1293 and has markers for famous events, like Lewis and Clark's expedition, Major volcanic eruptions, world population estimated at 500 million, etc. etc. etc.

The pretty creek behind our campsite.

The creek was super cold, but she wanted to go "swimming" anyway, I didn't even want my toes in...

Here, Daddy, feel the nice cool water, now doesn't that feel better?

After a bath, some warm food and some old camp songs, the little bird fell fast alseep in the firelight.

Here's the firelight.

The next morning, getting ready to take pictures at some high-mountain lakes.

Notice the white splotches on her cheek and fingers? She wanted to be sure I got enough sunscreen on her so she did a second coat herself.

Buff Mama, ready to pack her in for another hike...(I was trying to pump myself up, I was told it was steep!)

One of the smaller peaks that we were hiking to the base of.

Mt. Rainier from a little valley.

Standing on a boulder looking down at some of the coldest water I've ever touched, melting right off the mountain just yards above us...we estimated it was about 34 degrees, and the fourth day, we bathed in it. And I mean, full-on, jumped in, lathered up and rinsed off bathed in...Daddy bird was a bit braver than I, I had to do it in stages, and Flaminguito had to copy me with washing her hair, too...she insisted, but we just dipped her hair in, I didn't think a 2 year old could handle water barely above freezing touching anything else other than her hair!

This was as close as we could get to a family photo, her and me...

and her and he.

Taking some "real" pictures of the mountain.
When we stopped here, on our way out, we met another couple who was hiking in and asked if we'd heard about the bear. Apparently, there was a bear at Snow Lake, where we were just minutes before. But all we saw were a few people running away screaming and some strange growling sounds (just kidding, we saw nothing!).

Preparing garlic bread to cook over the fire for dinner.

We each took a night to cook, the third night was Baby Bird's turn, she made us hotdogs au flambeau.

The Palisades, gargantuan basalt columns from a volcano that erupted nine miles Southeast of here. It was the prettiest rest stop I've ever been to!

It was a fabulous trip, I'm so glad we got to go and can't wait to go back again, only next time, we'll bring a full tank of gas and do some more adventures.