Images and Thoughts

Photos from up to the top of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons/Winthrop route.

It's a beautiful and awesome place. The world looks very different from up there than down here, and there's a peace about it that you can't quite get on an airplane.

One thing not in the photos that you might not guess about a trip up the mountain is that (given clear enough weather, and if you're on the Emmons/Winthrop side)  the only thing illuminated other than the snow in your headlamp and the moon is the floating amber spread of lights from Seattle and the surrounding area far in the distance, hanging in your periphery. 

The whole upper part of the mountain is quite surreal. From camp Schurman to the summit down to White River campground in 19 hours or so... easily the hardest physical endeavor I've undergone by a pretty thick margin. I'm glad I got to have the experience without any bad luck. Well, maybe other than half of my right crampon breaking off at 13,000 feet. And I did get the joy of joining the club of people who have pooped at 14,000 feet. Don't worry, I blue bagged it out... with all that wind and cold there wasn't even any smell!

Also, special shout out to the party that Mitchell and I went up with for safety after loosing Eric, our third rope man, to unfortunate altitude symptoms: Chad, Brad, and Stephon! Without them we probably would not have made it this time. 

Sunset on the way up to Camp Schurman on the first day:

Sunrise from near camp Schurman on the second day:

Sunrise on the third day, just before we reached the summit:

From the summit:

Mitchell and I:

The shadow of the mountain cast away from the rising sun, right from the actual summit:

Mt. St. Helens:

Mt. Adams with a ridge between two of Rainier's calderas:

 Liberty Cap:

The eastern crater rim:

Strange ice and rock formations near volcanic steam vents:

Looking out towards the west caldera:

 On the way down:

(my half-crampon)

View of little Tahoma from slightly above:

View down the Winthrop glacier:

Mitchell resting near a nicely arced leaning crevasse:

Winthrop glacier from Steamboat Prow just above camp Schurman:

 And last but not least, back up again! Two photos from inside a steam cave at the summit. I had heard about these caves and was excited to see one. It took some exploring around the rim to find a good sized cave but I'm glad we did it, it was amazing to sit in here for a few moments and then come back out onto the top of the world.