"Chinese Hat" - This megalithic solid cloud was seen and photographed by blog host, June 1990. Meteorologists have confirmed that the many glaciers of Mount Rainier can produce their own weather patterns. One of the outcrops of these patterns can occasionally be huge lenticular clouds that sit on top of the entire mountain as a "hat." This cloud is estimated to be approximately 75 miles in diameter, in comparsion with the lower base diameter of the mountain being roughly 90 miles. -ed.

Note: The following three pictures are indicative of what the scientific community refers to as "Cloud Corona." The iridescent colors are the result of minute ice crystals in the cloud body, reflecting from the last rays at the precise angle from the setting sun. The intensity of the colors in these photos result from being taken at a higher altitude, which causes less atmospheric particle scattering. - Blog host

"An Amorphous Aetherial Encounter"

"Saturn's Satellite"

"The Dragon and the Dog"

This photographic image reminds us of the celestial abode of the gods, as depicted by quintessential Chinese landscape painters such as Jing Hao ( 855 - 915 a.d. ). Hao began painting in the later years of the Tang Dynasty, and his depiction of misty mountains and diaphanous clouds parallels the vaporous figures captured in this photo.

"Mother Ship and Baby." This is the first photo in a series of three; only two shown are here to demonstrate the dissipation of the lower smaller cloud (as seen in the bottom photo). This substantiates that these photos have not been altered by any computer-generated means.

Lenticular UFO-type cloud, as seen hovering near Mount Rainier sunset, July 1991. Estimated diameter of cloud is approximately 24 miles, from tip to tip. This measurement has been judged by the lower circumference of Mount Rainier, according to the Wonderland Trail of 90 miles in circumference.