The trail near Mount Rainier transformed in just two weeks last summer

I hit the Skyline Trail in early July and it was just rocks and snow patches. Hiked it again on the 22nd and suddenly there were wildflowers everywhere. Like someone flipped a switch on the whole mountain. Lupine and paintbrush covered spots that were bare white two weeks earlier. I guess the snowmelt timing is everything up there. Has anyone else caught a trail change that fast or was this just a weird season?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese5505d ago

Can't believe it was just rocks and patches two weeks before. That's such a drastic change that I almost wonder if the wildflowers were waiting under the snow the whole time, ready to pop the second it melted. Must have been incredible to see that transformation in person!

richardrodriguez5d ago

Snowmelt timing really does act like a reset button for whole landscapes. It's almost exactly like how certain streets in my neighborhood suddenly look completely different after a single good rainstorm, like the dust got washed away and everything got brighter. Makes you realize how fast things can shift if you just pay attention to the little triggers.