On the way to Mt Rainier, we stopped by the Flaming Geyser State Park, one of my favorite places, and surely a strong candidate for the 8th Wonder of the Modern World.  What an awesome name for a park, eh?!?  How many FLAMING GEYSERS do you get to see in your lifetime?!

It only took me a few minutes to convince the Shadow Lady and my cousin to put aside their natural fears of fire, and brave the danger to take a gander at this geologic wonder...

The park is actually a VERY nice park.  The Green river borders one side of most of the park.  People put tubes in the water at one end, then ride the water to the other end of the park... there's lots of room to play games, run, picnic, and just enjoy the summer outside!

Of course, the star of the park is the geyser.

There's a trail that leads those who are not faint of heart to the roaring flames of natures fury spewing forth from the hot innards of the Earth.

A stream flows down the slopes that the path brings you up.

Supposedly, its a spawning bed for salmon... doesn't seem like there's enough water for me, but there's signs everywhere warning you to be careful... as if worrying about the flames of the Geyser weren't bad enough. 

And there she is... A real wonder... The Flaming Geyser!

See it?  Right down in the middle of the pit... burning furiously away.

OK. so its more of a Bic Lighter than a roaring pillar of flame... but the flame you see IS actually fed from a naturally occurring vent of methane from porous underground deposits of an old forest or swamp or something... there also is a well tapped, which provides methane that is sold commercially, and used to generate electricity for the region.

:-)   Its a fun trip, and it was a good laugh when they discovered just how much I had exaggerated the grandeur of whole thing!

Fun times!  :-)

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