With my daughter back from school for the holidays we managed to get in a couple more hikes before we say farewell to 2014, once again taking advantage of excellent weather for the Pacific Northwest: clear and cold. Cold for here is 23 degrees F, and we spent the day at Mount Rainier National Park, hiking from the Carbon River entrance up the Ipsut Creek trail to Ipsut Creek with a side trip to Green Lake. This is a mellow hike, mostly on the closed road with gentle grade, and even the side trip to Green Lake was with good footing in light snow accumulations. All considered, a finger numbing but glorious hike in frozen rain forest for a total of 14 miles. Happy New Year to all readers!

Ranger Falls, on the trail to Green Lake

dripping moss on the trail to Green Lakereminder of rain forest

layers of lightrain forest tears

frozen swirls