Late Sunday afternoon we headed over to the Carbon River entrance of Mount Rainier National Park.  It was nice and sunny for the first time in several days so we thought it would be a good time to have a picnic dinner and then hike over to Chenuis Falls.   To get to the falls you have to cross the Carbon River via several log bridges.  The first few were challenging a bit but the third one was a killer.  Dana kept mouthing "don’t look down" to me… which of course caused me to immediately look down.  When I did I became instantly dizzy.  The water rushing under your feet is freaky!

I did the best I could getting pictures but I’d have to jump out in the middle of the falls to get a good photo. The picture doesn’t show it but this thing was huge.  We never were able to see all the way to the top of it even after we climbed up quite a ways.  The link shows a good head on photo of it but I think that the water level must have been much lower when that picture was taken.  We could barely see the rock below the water because it was so full.

Log bridge #3…  the killer "don’t look down" log bridge.

Snow capped mountains and the Carbon River

Dana and Anna Grace crossing log bridge #4.  I carried AG across bridges 1 and 2 but when we got to #3 Dana ordered her into the backpack.

Chenuis Falls.

Heading back to the car.

You’ll notice above that I said it was sunny and that’s why we were heading out to enjoy it.  Doesn’t look sunny, does it? Well it was.  Until we got to the Carbon River entrance.  There it was cool and misty.  We listened to thunder throughout our entire hike.  I figured the sunny times were just over but not so.  As we drove back home we drove back into beautiful, wonderful sun.  I guess it was just foggy, misty and nasty weather down in the Carbon River area.