Last Sunday I aimed at my third ascent to Camp Muir (10,100') - base
camp for scaling Mt. Rainier (14,400'). It started out with a
gorgeous blue sky, but when we reached above 7,000' near Pebble Creek,
the notorious mountain cloud started to roll in....Mt. Rainier forms its
own clouds at any time regardless of weather...."whiteout". Also, wind
picked up and temperature dropped quickly. But, we judged it would be
safe to continue to ascend as other hikers kept going up and down as
well....the visibility was about 100' - 200', depending on clouds
density. Wildflowers were abundant all over displaying beautiful colors along
the trail....the very reason many people visit Mt. Rainier during this
time of the year and autumn. In fact, I've seen a tourist strolling with her high
heels on along the paved trail, no kidding! The views from Camp Muir was
awesome and even magically austere with clouds rolling in before our
eyes. It was a great hike
with a little adventure as we breathed deep the thin air into above 10,000'.
| Round trip | 10 miles |
| Elevation Gain | 4,600 ft |
| Highest Point | 10,100 ft |
"Mount Rainier contains the most luxuriant and the most
extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens I ever beheld
in all my mountain-top wanderings." - John Muir -
*Click to view large.
(Properties of Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries)
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