The high life
We didn’t get to Mt. Rainier until about 2:00, because we had to stop and get supplies and the drive took longer than anticipated. Once we got to Sunrise, it was beautiful!
On the way up the mountain, B. was saying that Mt. Fremont would be the highest he’s ever hiked.
“Really?”
“Well I haven’t hiked in Asia.”
When I thought about it, 7,200 feet is the highest I’ve been in the United States. Mt. Rainier is 14,420 feet and at Sunrise we were almost half way to the top.
The first part of the hike from Sunrise to Shadow Lake and Sunrise camp was 1.8 miles with breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and wild flowers of every color. We took what I hope will be some great pictures, but they won't be developed until Friday. (I hate waiting for pictures!)
After setting up camp, we started out the 2.3 mile hike to Mt. Fremont. We got to the top right before dusk and stopped for a little snack and were joined by a couple of chipmunks. One of them was just a baby, but the other one was enormous and seemed to be perfectly comfortable to come and eat out of our hands. I think he had a few too many potato chips and Cliff bars. :) The smaller one was more picky and only liked the salty stuff.
We hiked back down as the sun was setting and got back moments before it got dark, so the timing was perfect. This time, equipped with +20 degree F. sleeping bags, the cold was not a problem like it was the last time we came to Mt. Rainier. However, there were so many animals at the campsite that I kept hearing noises all night and had a hard time getting to sleep.
On a positive note, the sky was full of stars, and we actually saw a shooting star falling out of the night sky. I was hoping to see Mars, as this month it is supposed to be the closest it has ever been to Earth and rather bright.
The next morning we hiked back to Sunrise so that we could drop off all the gear. We had a small breakfast and then started the climb to Dege Peak. I was worried about getting back to Seattle for my study group, so almost turned back before reaching the top. I’m glad I didn’t, because the views were amazing. You could see in every direction and, with the sky so clear, you could see Mt. Adams in the distance.
“The nearly flat Sourdough Ridge trail has open views over most of its length. Dege Peak makes a great climax, from The Mountain, to Cowlitz Chimenys, to the Cascades, to the Olympics.”
I’d highly recommend Sunrise and any of the surrounding hikes in the area. I’d just be sure to go during the week, as it was pretty crowded even on a Tuesday.
On the way up the mountain, B. was saying that Mt. Fremont would be the highest he’s ever hiked.“Really?”
“Well I haven’t hiked in Asia.”
When I thought about it, 7,200 feet is the highest I’ve been in the United States. Mt. Rainier is 14,420 feet and at Sunrise we were almost half way to the top.
The first part of the hike from Sunrise to Shadow Lake and Sunrise camp was 1.8 miles with breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and wild flowers of every color. We took what I hope will be some great pictures, but they won't be developed until Friday. (I hate waiting for pictures!)
After setting up camp, we started out the 2.3 mile hike to Mt. Fremont. We got to the top right before dusk and stopped for a little snack and were joined by a couple of chipmunks. One of them was just a baby, but the other one was enormous and seemed to be perfectly comfortable to come and eat out of our hands. I think he had a few too many potato chips and Cliff bars. :) The smaller one was more picky and only liked the salty stuff.
We hiked back down as the sun was setting and got back moments before it got dark, so the timing was perfect. This time, equipped with +20 degree F. sleeping bags, the cold was not a problem like it was the last time we came to Mt. Rainier. However, there were so many animals at the campsite that I kept hearing noises all night and had a hard time getting to sleep.
On a positive note, the sky was full of stars, and we actually saw a shooting star falling out of the night sky. I was hoping to see Mars, as this month it is supposed to be the closest it has ever been to Earth and rather bright.
The next morning we hiked back to Sunrise so that we could drop off all the gear. We had a small breakfast and then started the climb to Dege Peak. I was worried about getting back to Seattle for my study group, so almost turned back before reaching the top. I’m glad I didn’t, because the views were amazing. You could see in every direction and, with the sky so clear, you could see Mt. Adams in the distance.“The nearly flat Sourdough Ridge trail has open views over most of its length. Dege Peak makes a great climax, from The Mountain, to Cowlitz Chimenys, to the Cascades, to the Olympics.”
I’d highly recommend Sunrise and any of the surrounding hikes in the area. I’d just be sure to go during the week, as it was pretty crowded even on a Tuesday.
posted by Elizabeth at 11:05 PM
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