Yesterday I showed you Mt. Baker in the Cascade Range east of Sequim. Here’s another majestic peak from the same range, Mt. Rainier. It is further south in the Cascades and not in view from Sequim. I took this shot last week from Gig Harbor on the Kitsap Peninsula. Rainier can be seen on clear days from Seattle and often can be seen from Portland, OR.
According to Wikipedia, Mt. Rainier has a number of superlatives. It is the highest mountain in Washington State and the Cascade Range with a summit elevation of 14,411 feet. What’s chilling, however, is this Wikipedia statement, “Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list.” The Decade Volcano list notes that such volcanos are “worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.” It is classified in the company of other volcanoes you may have heard of: Vesuvius, Sanforini, Mauna Loa, and Etna.