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.
On the Road: Week of December 7 (5 am)
Albatrossity – October in the Sandhills #1
Steve from Mendocino –Provincetown
?BillinGlendaleCA – Sunset at Del Cerro Park
Captain C – Goes To Japan: Osaka Aquarium
MomSense – SailboatsThis is the last week of Parks After Dark, unless more submissions come my way this week.
On the Road: Parks After Dark: Week of December 7 (10 pm)
Skookum in Oly – The Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park – Part 2, Not The Mountain
Alison – Tahoe National Forest
arrieve – Denali National Park, Alaska
arrieve – Denali National Park, Alaska II
Dagaetch – Election Respite, New Zealand EditionApologies to Dagaetch whose gorgeous Election Respite, New Zealand Edition post once was lost, but now is found!
? And now, back to Skookum in Oly, for his first On The Road post (and happily not his last).
Skookum in Oly
“And on your left, Mt. Rainier.”
My brother and I took a hike around Mt. Rainier, at Mt. Rainier National Park, WA USA in the autumn of 2018. We followed the Wonderland Trail counterclockwise, a route that spares no effort to cross over gazillions of ridges and rivers, through bright high-elevation meadows, deep old-growth forests and dark canyons, all the while leading one thru one of the most magical, and photographed, landscapes on Earth.
For us, Mt. Rainier is literally just the backyard. We grew up in a tiny village located on the south edge of the park, about 10 miles from the entrance. Packwood is a lesser visited gateways to MRNP, providing access to Ohanapecosh and the southern and eastern areas of the park. Growing up, The Mountain was out, or it was not. We read the weather forecast and judged the season by cloudy, lenticular shroud and snowy mantle, and the throngs of tourists passing through town. The largest glaciated peak in the Lower 48, it was no big thing for us. While we easily survived the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens (only a few dozen miles away), much more worrisome was the constant threat of lahar or eruption from The Mountain.
Having been told his cancer was ‘cured’ over the summer, and I mine a few years before, we decided a hike around The Mountain would be just the way to say, “F- you, Cancer!”. We spent 10 days on the trail, the weather was both beautiful and ugly, in turns. We hiked a total of 97 miles with 23,717′ of elevation gain, averaging 10.7 miles and 2,635′ each day.
For Part 1 of my first On The Road post, here are 8 photos of the mountain I took on that hike. My full trip report, and all the pictures, are here.
Day 1 – Third Burroughs Peak (3B) from along the Wonderland Trail
Day 1- Carbon Glacier & Willis Wall from the Wonderland Trail
Day 2 – Hiking along the alternate route to visit Spray Park
Day 3 – Hiking thru Sunset Park, autumn colors ablaze!
Day 4 – Tokaloo Spire from Aurora Park
Day 4 – Alpenglow from Aurora Park.
Day 5 – Morning at Aurora Lake
Day 5 – Guard Station, Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground.
A Retired General Officer or Flag Officer Should Not Be the Next Secretary of Defense
Barbara
Just gorgeous! Love the red foliage in third pic and the last the most.
planetjanet
Beautiful pictures. What a great adventure.
Gemina13
Absolutely gorgeous photos, Skookum, especially the one of Sunset Park.
Benw
These are amazing. Thanks for sharing!
VeniceRiley
Wonderful.
jl
Thanks for wonderful pix. Mt. Rainier and the Cascades are one my favorite areas to hike, relax, and seek respite.
susanna
Beautiful picturesI. I like the message you gave out following tough times for the two of you and can imagine the mountain was a good metaphor for your challanges and strength. It’s a magnificent mountain which you’ve captured so well.
dp
Spectacular (as are most of these posts — I envy you all your travels!).
Dan B
Your photos are wonderful. It helps that there are hundreds of locations at Rainier that beg to be photographed.
On another note, my Mike guy’s grandmother had the concession at Packwood Lake. He has stories of packing in supplies. And, his grandmother’s name was Agnes. They believed the little island in the lake was named after her. Turns out there was another Agnes decades before.
BTW my favorite location on Rainier is Summerland. Much of it is rock and snow but gorgeous rock and snow bordered by meadows.
JanieM
Glorious. I imagine you never get tired of the mountain in all its moods.
I clicked over to your blog and found lots more beautiful shots over there. Not to mention how much fun it is to see someone else who writes dates as YYYYMMDD. ;-)
SFBayAreaGal
Beautiful pictures.
I was stationed at Ft Lewis. Some days I would sit on the hood of my truck and watch the colors of Mt. Rainer. The motor pool I worked in had the best view of Mt. Rainer.
I and my friends at the time spent a number of weekends at Mt. Rainer. My favorite place to go to was near the top to see where the Nisqually River started.
Dan B
I second the observation that the photos on your bog are excellent. I got goosebumps. The photos of the terrain and the photo of the Willis Wall add so much. Wish the weather had been better for Summerland.
WaterGirl
Skookum in Oly, hopefully now that you’ve jumped in with your first set of photos, we will see more of you and your amazing pics. Just don’t let that Mike in Oly guy think he can slack off just because you are submitting, too.
Wag
Excellent photos! Sounds like an epic trip. I’m so jealous.
CaseyL
You did the Wonderland! After cancer treatment, no less!
Thank you for the wonderful photos. I’ve been to a lot of places in the world, seen/hiked some of the most celebrated national vistas – and I swear, Rainier National Park is still the most beautiful.
Maybe next summer I’ll get back out there.
?BillinGlendaleCA
Great pics of The Mountain, I lived in Seattle for 3 years, traveled up there numerous times before then, my parents lived up there for 13 years and I have 2, yes only 2 pics of The Mountain.
sukabi
Absolutely gorgeous photos.?
Mary G
Been to Seattle several times and never saw the mountain except in postcards. Beautiful country.
J R in WV
Wonderful photos of the imposing Mountain — like really good oil paintings; art with feeling for sure.
As good a set of landscapes as we’re likely to see anywhere… the Mountain carries you because you deserve it.
So glad your health is doing better, both of you! Don’t be a stranger!!
pb3550
Thank you! Your pic of Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground brought great memories of a hike MANY years ago. We – group of teenaged CampFIre Girls – were supposed to trek around the mountain but were hit with some bad rain & spent only one night at IHHG. Your trek gives me some hope that I might be able to finish the trip some day.
JanieM
@Mary G:
Heh. I went to a conference in Salt Lake City once in the winter, over the course of a few days when it was mild and foggy. You wouldn’t have known there were any mountains nearby (not that I was outside much). The day I left the sun came out and I was like, “Whoa!”
Dagaetch
Beautiful photos, Skookum in Oly!Reall really an amazing scene, nicely captured.
@WaterGirl: no worries re the missing post!
Skookum in Oly
@Dan B: I remember the store and canoe rental – but don’t think I ever met Agnes – altho she was up there until I was about 7 years old, so maybe. It is where I first encountered grape licorice, my fave to this day. Historical documents put Agnes Neeley and Ralph Sawyer up there in the 30’s, 60’s, and 70’s. The store and cabins are all gone now, tho.
@Dan B:
Skookum in Oly
Thanks for the kind words, everyone! It seems everyone has a story about Mt. Rainier, some relationship with it, a connection. How could you not? It’s just that grand. I’m glad for the opportunity to share.
Skookum in Oly
@WaterGirl: I can do a Mt. St. Helens post for Parks After Dark… it’s not technically a National Park, but it *should* be, dangit. It’s a world apart from Mt. Rainier, and we’re scooting rapidly up on the 40th anniversary – the Eruptiversary. It’s quite a trip to explore a landscape younger than yourself.
And then after I’ve exhausted everyone with pics of a sleepy stratovolcano and of a not-so-sleepy stratovolcano, I can offer more pics of the Goat Rocks, a wilderness area near the other two that features… an extinct strato-volcano! Yes, I <3 volcanoes.
[looks pointedly at @Mike in Oly, gives whip a little shake]
Skookum in Oly
@Skookum in Oly: That’s wrong. That should read Ralph and Agnes Neeley, and Charles Sawyer. Like anyone cares… lol
WaterGirl
@Skookum in Oly: All parks matter!
Pictures can be from National Parks, State Parks, local parks, any kind of parks at all.