Mount Tahoma (Rainier) rises to 14,411 feet. It is the highest peak in the Cascade Range and is the most glaciated peak in the continental U.S.

It is the only U.S. volcano outside Hawaii to be on the Decade Volcano List (16 volcanoes around the world considered to be the most dangerous). It spawns 5 major rivers, has 2 craters over 1,000 feet wide and is home to the highest lake in North America at over 14,200 feet high.

Capable of generating its own weather, record amounts of snow have triggered massive landslides in the past. These landslides have mixed with glaciers to form lahars, spreading rock and debris several feet deep all the way to Puget Sound, over 50 miles away.

And, if you think the mountain is impressive, you should check out the one who made it.

naturepsalm.com

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A rock counting the stars!

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Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.
Travertine terrace formations at Pamukkale, Turkey. May 21, 2011

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white “castle” which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.

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