Mt. Rainier and a family of foxes

Today started off with me doing laundry and computer tasks while Etsuko went to class and Bob went to work.

Around noon, we had got it together to drive to Mt. Rainier. Etsuko used to give tours on the mountain, so she was our guide. The park entrance is about two hours from Seattle, but we had a nice drive, and didn’t run into much traffic. I find it interesting how you can see Mt. Rainier clearly from Seattle, but then when you start getting closer to it it becomes hidden behind closer, but much lower foothills (west coast speak for 2,000 foot mountains). But, we finally got there, and had a wonderful drive up the mountain, stopping at waterfalls and wildlife along the way.

At the top of the road, at about one mile high (~5,000 feet), we stopped at the Paradise Inn for a bathroom break and to enjoy the view.

On our way down from the Inn, we were stopped by a gaggle of cars (well, two) pulled over with cameras flashing. A family of four foxes (looked like “mom” and four kits) were posing for us. The kits were happily romping around in the snow, while mom seemed happy to sit in the sun, scratch, and stretch. I’ve got several photos online, so be sure to check the album.

I found it amazing how “tame” these foxes were. They weren’t begging for food, but they also didn’t have the fear of humans that one would expect from “wild” animals.

On our way back down, we stopped at a great Thai Wok, a great Tai restaurant in and had dinner (with enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow). The review on Yelp was great, and I added another to it.