On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Yutsano
Sometimes you’ll get lucky and your pilot will take a full circle around Mount Rainier on your way out. I got lucky on a flight to Dallas three years ago.
Some cloud scapes. It’s amazing how comfy they look.
More cloud scapes. The different textures are amazing.
The old volcano appears. I need to look it up again, but there’s an old Indigenous legend about how he was a chieftain who eventually settled an old dispute and was awarded by the gods by being turned into Tahoma. But I need to research that.
Another view. I swear there is no way to take a bad picture of him.
Every time I see him he’s just beautiful.
Starting to recede…eventually the plane had to orient due east and he was out of sight.
raven
Sometimes you could see it from Ft Lewis!!
MazeDancer
Fascinating. Great pictures.
patrick II
The singular most beautiful landscape I have ever seen was in Japan in 1970. I flew as a crew member of recon flights out of Atsugi Naval Air Station not too far outside of Tokyo. That morning when we took off there was a low bed of clouds as you see in the first picture above, with a snow-covered Mt. Fuji sticking above those clouds in its beautiful symmetry. Fuji is about 12,000 feet tall, and above that at about 25,000 feet was another layer of clouds that completely filled the sky. Rising behind Fuji was the sun, with the sunlight bouncing between the two layers of clouds and Fuji, giving the whole thing a yellow and brilliant white glow. All else in the universe had disappeared, there was just us between those two layers of clouds which hid the world and sky, accompanied by the great god abode Mount Fuji and the sun. That was in 1970, and I can still see it as if yesterday, like the birth of your first child or your bride at the wedding altar. We are fortunate that our mind allows us to keep, remember, and treasure the truly beautiful things in our life.
Mary G
Wow. Lucky you had a window seat. It’s never been visible the few times I’ve up there, so thanks for letting me get a virtual close up view.
raven
@patrick II: I saw that as well when we landed at Tachikawa on my way home from Korea. 13 months in Korea and 30 minutes in Japan!
J R in WV
Amazing luck to see that sight, let alone capture such wonderful pictures to share with the Jackals.
Does anyone know the other volcano in the right background of the last photo? would love to know.
Thanks Yutsano!! Great job.
raven
@J R in WV: Mt Adams I think. Mt St Helens is a bit further away.
susanna
Yes, Mt. Adams is my thought also. Thank you for these…the cloud and mountain pictures took me out of where I ‘was’ and put me onto those luscious pillows of serenity, with inspiration from the great mountain.
Skookum in Oly
@J R in WV:@J R in WV: That 2nd volcano is Mt. St. Helens (or Lawetlat’la) distinguished by the flat top created in the 1980 eruption. Mt. Adams (Pahto) looks ‘moundy’, much like Mt. Rainier (Tahoma). Both Mt. Adams and MSH are about the same distance SSE and SSW, respectively, of Mt. Rainier.
StringOnAStick
@Skookum in Oly: Thanks, I thought it was St Helens because of the blown off top looking fairly recent in geologic time.
raven
@StringOnAStick: Well I tried.
H.E.Wolf
Beautiful photos! Thank you! Glad to know another person who thinks of puffy clouds that way.
J R in WV
@raven:
@susanna:
Thanks guys. So many great towering volcanic piles out there. Love mountains!
chopper
oh man do i love mt. rainier.
Dmbeaster
@Skookum in Oly: I agree. Its tough to be north of Rainier where these shots were taken and see Adams to the right. Plus you can spot the shaved off top. Adams has a blunt top also, but this one looks like St. Helens.
Mt. Rainier is amazing – such a massive bulk with so much prominence. The glacier display is awesome. I admit that I will go climbing in the Sierras much more readily than the volcanic slag heaps of the Pacific Northwest, but it is beautiful to behold. Now, Mt. Shuksan or other North Cascade peaks? Now you’re talking.
JanieM
Beautiful and calming — thanks for a reminder to get my mind out of the muck and try for a wider perspective. And I can come back to these any time I need a booster shot!
Victor Matheson
Just thought I would brag here that I know from first hand experience that Rainier looks pretty impressive when you are standing on the summit as well. (Sure the climb is dangerous, but I laugh in the face of danger…)
Steve in the ATL
Eight hours in and not a single Mile High Club joke? This place has really gone downhill.
Or, arguably, uphill.
Benw
Super cool!
Dan B
Yutsano I believe your last photo is Mt. Adams with Mt. St. Helens in the background. Mt. Adams has the long gradual slope on the south flank and Rainier has the spire of Little Tahoma on the east flank.