over the ground below, commanding the entire area. “Wow, that is awesome!” Christina agreed. Grant hopped up on a metal platform and scanned the horizon through the public binoculars. A majestic, massive mountain peak came into view. “Wow, look at this, Christina!” he called. Christina took a look through the binoculars. “That’s beautiful!” she shouted against the wind. “Look at all that snow on top!” She turned to Ellie. “How can that be? It’s summertime!” “That’s Mount Rainier,” Ellie explained, “and it’s more than 14,000 feet high. It’s really, really cold up there year round. Mount Rainier’s peak is covered in glaciers, not snow.” She paused and added, “And, it’s an active volcano.” Grant snapped his head around to stare at Ellie. “A volcano?” he asked. “It’s true,” Ellie said.
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