Another Ranier post card photo

[wabow]

Shot from Capitol forest.

[robb92]

Nice pic!!! Thanks for posting it!

[markts]

SAAAWEEEEEET. Mark

[bow4elk]

I fly to out of Olympia to Portland a lot for work.  In the winter months the sunrise is amazing over Rainier.  These are taken with a point and shoot through the window, but you get the idea.  Often as the sun rises, it casts a shadow of Rainier against the sky which is cool to watch over time because it moves across the sky until the sun breaks on the horizon.

[littlemac]

Thanks for posting. 

Got these in an email the other day with the attached explanation.  I've been looking at that mountain for 60 years now and there isn't a single time that I have looked at it that I haven't been in awe of its beauty.


Mt. Rainier puts on a show!
 
Those are called "lenticular clouds" They're caused when the air flow is just right so when it flows over Mt. Rainier, the air gets pushed upward where it cools and condenses into clouds. Depending on how smooth the flow is, you can get some amazing clouds formations as we've seen so far today. It's usually a sign of rain within 24 hours because typically the moist flow that precedes a storm around here is the perfect set up for these clouds.

[Houndhunter]

wow i spend alota time near that mountian but ive never seen clouds like that, pretty cool

[hirshey]

Nice pic!!! Thanks for posting it!

[rasbo]

littlemac thats some cool formations,that wasnt long ago was it?...This one is from hancock off the 32...

[littlemac]

littlemac that's some cool formations,that wasn't long ago was it?...This one is from hancock off the 32...

The email said it was recent but I found this link and it appears the pics were gathered over time.  There may have been a recent one as well.  The YouTube below is from December of 2008.

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blog/35631614.html

Lenticular Clouds over Mt. Rainier

[rasbo]

there was some like that a few weeks back..the mountain gives up some real beauty..I lived in this state for thirty days before the clouds cleared and could see it. I was awed

[TONTO]

  A more SouWesterly view

 and one from on the water@ silver lake

[NGOWENS]

Some pics from Spring '09

[saudog]

From a backpacking trip to the Carbon Glacier.  The clouds parted just enough to grab this picture.  Second pic is of our camp.  It's frickin' cool up there!

[Decker]

From a backpacking trip to the Carbon Glacier.  The clouds parted just enough to grab this picture.  Second pic is of our camp.  It's frickin' cool up there!

GorGEOUS! An exceptional photo with an epic effort to obtain it. Well done.

[saudog]

From a backpacking trip to the Carbon Glacier.  The clouds parted just enough to grab this picture.  Second pic is of our camp.  It's frickin' cool up there!

GorGEOUS! An exceptional photo with an epic effort to obtain it. Well done.

Thanks!  It actually wasn't too bad of a hike.  4-5 hours with packs filled with extra goodies like wine and stuff.  We left from Mowich lake and hiked threw spray park to get to the high country.  There were probably a thousand tourists up there but we went a little higher and stayed over night, which no one else did, and were able to see the clouds clear.  You can actually get a "back country" permit very easily up there and camp pretty much where ever you want to, as long as you travel on rock and snow without damaging the flowers and stuff.  The designated camp sites are too low for me and don't offer good views.  My little lady accompanied me on this one to tell you how easy it really was.  So many things to see up there....