Day 121 - Mount Rainier Summerland

Sunrise and Summerland were the destinations for day 2 at Rainier. Sunrise is a high valley on the northeast side of the mountain. Before heading up the sunrise road I made a detour to Chinook Pass, famous for being a pass on the Pacific Crest Trail and for its nearby lake views of Rainier.

I drove along the road in hopes of finding elusive cell phone coverage and magically found coverage on most of the sunrise road. I drove up the long, winding road to its top and hiked out to an overlook of the Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the lower 48 states.

I then returned down the road to the Summerland trailhead and made some phone calls to friends and my father to talk logistics of two separate future trips next month. I set out for Summerland at 545pm. The first three miles were boring, heading up through the woods; I contemplated turning back. Then I reached an opening and saw what the fuss was all about-- why this hike was so popular.

The mystic view of Rainier and the craggy Little Tahoma peak glowed in the late afternoon light. I considered waiting for sunset at this spot but instead continued up a very steep hillside to the Summerland campground. The view of Rainier and Little Tahoma was even better from here-all views get better as you get higher. I hiked past the campground to a rocky hill on the far side. It was 1.5 miles and 900 ft up to Panhandle Gap, another destination on my list, but it was now 7:45pm.

I decided to go for it:) I was so close and I wanted to see the view across the pass--what was on the other side? So I hiked up, through moon-like volcanic landscapes surrounded by glaciers and ever-changing glorious Mount Rainier views. I reached the Gap and looked out to the other valley: Wow wow wow wow was all I could say. Wow wow wow. Like the hills of Tuscany but with a volcano (Mount Adams) in the background.

I turned back at 830pm and took this celebratory photo, perhaps my favorite portrait so far, in front of a magical Rainier sunset. I hiked the final hour in total darkness with a dim headlight to light the path. I now agree with the many others: Rainier is a spiritual experience!

Comments

Day 171 - JMT Guitar Lake

Wow, was it cold this morning. After waking up and eating breakfast, we packed up quickly and found this scenic sunspot to warm our bones. We had a short eight mile hike to Guitar Lake today, the last viable campsite before the five mile hike to the 14,505 foot-high Mount Whitney summit. We stopped at this lovely meadow and looked for bears. We only saw deer but were able to enjoy the incredible peace of the far mountain range. Steady hiker traffic, the most of the entire trip, including one group of twelve elder hikers, passed us as we rested, and jumped! Views of Mount Whitney finally came into view at Timberline Lake, a quaint lake where camping was unfortunately forbidden. We passed a group of twenty Taiwanese hikers. The summit of Mount Whitney looked heavily defended when viewed from below. We were going to wake up tomorrow at 230am and hike up to the summit for sunrise-on-the-top-of-the-world*. The thought of this dark task was a bit foreboding. We made it to Guitar Lake by

Day 172 - JMT Mount Whitney

Our day began in silence, at 315am in pursuit of the summit. We walked carefully, looking for slick, sandy rocks and icy sections--not wanting to fall. Hiking along a cliff edge in total darkness was thrilling, vividly black and white. By 5am, we had reached the three mile marker and the turnoff up to Whitney summit. We removed the heavy items from our bags and set off towards the summit sunrise. The trail was spectacular, a special creation of this nation, winding from one side of the mountain to the other, going down and around one side before coming up to another, creating anticipation with each turn. Looking back, the sloping ridges caught the early sunset delicately. As we hiked along the two mile upper trail, the views east would open up for the narrowest of moments. This opening was my favorite. 14,000 foot cathedrals of nature thrusted towards the heavens at each turn. The summit was almost in sight, the highest peak in the lower 48 states nearly attained, the end of our 2

Day 170 - JMT Forrester Pass

The mountains had a surreal glow this morning as we climbed up towards the 13,200 foot high Forrester Pass. One of the wonderful things about the mountains is that they change appearance as the sun changes height, creating a movie-like experience as you walk. I felt so free and happy this morning--just in love with this light. After sixty minutes of walking, we stopped in the first sunny spot we could find to thaw out and rest. Another hiker came bustling up the trail behind us and stopped at the sunspot to shed a layer of clothing. Sly was a Canadian hiker, just turned 40, who seemed happy to see us. We struck up a conversation about travels and when we pushed off Sly asked if he could join us. We said yes of course. We hiked quickly up the trail, reaching a high plateau with epic alpine views. Selfie time! We skirted around a high alpine lake and then went up a ridge line ever further higher. We were at 12,000+ feet now and the world began to look small yet vast.

Road Trip Daily

Search This Blog