Fall at Rainier

     While hiking I have seen Vine Maple trees, and expected the Fall colors to be in Maples.  No  !!   Fall colors are in Huckleberry bushes !    Vine Maples are beautifully red and orange,  but they lack in abundance.  There are not many Maples on the hillsides. 
     Huckleberry bushes cover the meadows and hillsides with a dense green mat during the summer.  They become bright red in the Fall, everywhere.

Its been raining and cloudy for more than a week.  Before this storm moved in, I photographed Lenticular clouds over the big mountain.  They occur when stable, moist air flows over a mountain, creating a series of oscillating waves.  On a different day I saw the layers of  waves form a stacked cloud.

This photo to the right reminded me of the mountains in NH.

 A Gray Jay sat briefly on a branch before flying away.  Gray Jays can be quite tame in campgrounds.