Mt. Rainier

With an elevation of 4,392 meters, Mt. Rainier is not only the highest peak in the western USA, but also the mountain with the most glaciers (excluding Alaska, of course). It is definitely very impressive, even majestic. And you can see it from many kilometers away, precisely because it is so tall. It is surrounded by clouds on 200 days of the year, including when we were there. But thanks to Jutta's sister Eileen, who lived in the area a few years ago, we also have a photo without clouds that we can show here 😊. There is still a lot of snow in the national park, some lakes are still frozen, and not everything is accessible yet. But you can feel that spring is slowly beginning here too.

Mt. Rainier is a volcano, and one of the most dangerous ones at that. There is currently no danger of an eruption, but geologists believe that this dormant volcano will erupt again at some point. The greatest danger is the mudflows, known as lahars. Because these can destroy the entire surrounding area and permanently alter the landscape, just like what happened with Mount St. Helens. Mt. Rainier is also capable of spewing lava. Let's hope for the entire region's sake that it remains permanently calm.