Cool Clear Water

Day 151: At first glance, you might be fooled into believing that this image shows a dry creek bed, but you would be wrong. If you look in the center of the photo, you can see a small cascade tumbling over larger rocks. The foreground stones are covered by at least six inches of cool, clear spring water. Mount Rainier National Park has many spring-fed streams. Many flow year-'round, not dependent on snow melt. Others are classified as "intermittent," nourished by a water table which goes dry in summer to be rejuvenated during the fall and winter months.