TAKE 3
I’ve been a bit out of touch recently due to an increased work schedule, but I try not to let that interrupt the outdoor time. With that increased schedule comes an increase in stress and that makes it all the more important to take the time to do the things that soothe your soul. So here I am to catch you up on the adventures that have happened in the time in between.
Going back to my last “adventure blog” post after the failed hiking attempts brings us to Take 3. This finds us at Sunrise on Mt. Rainier at 6:30 in the evening. (Incidentally, this is the first hike with the brand new Osprey pack). This start is much more pleasant than the last time. No bugs, the evening air is pleasantly cool, and the people are greatly thinned out. This is my first foray into the world of the night hike. I think I may be hooked.
We made it to the Fremont Lookout about 8:15pm. It’s next to impossible to describe the sight that befell us as we crossed the ridge. The sky opens, and Mt. Rainier stands in beauty bathed in golden light as is befitting its majesty. To say it took my breath away is an understatement. I think I’ll leave it to the iconic John Muir to describe:
“Oh, these vast, calm, measureless mountain days, days in whose light everything seems equally divine, opening a thousand windows to show us God”.
I wanted to spend the rest of my days right in that very spot. But alas the cold and exhaustion of being up since 5:30am got the better of us and it was time to depart. With one last longing glance and one last deep breath to sustain our peace until we could visit again we start the dark trek down the mountain.
Hiking in the dark with the utter lightlessness and stillness provides a soothing backdrop to the somewhat nerve wracking experience. With occasional glances at the mountain to follow the progress of the intrepid climbers vying for the summit we allow the moon to guide our way (with a little helping from our headlamps – one of which was slowly failing. Note to self: make sure you know the ins and outs of your new headlamp before heading off into the dark).
The goal to sleep in the Xterra and stay until sunrise was scrapped in favor of a comfortable bed to rest the weary muscles. At 4:30am Sunday morning I lay my head on my pillow with a big thank you for everything I had experienced that day. I slept deeply dreaming of mountains, meadows and light dancing together.
AND THEN SOME
The next weekend finds us back on the mountain meeting some friends for camping and hiking to celebrate the husbands birthday (I’ll keep which birthday it is under my hat to preserve the happiness of my marriage). The work schedule again had me worried that I would get out at a decent time, but my co-workers are fabulous and allow me to leave early in the afternoon. When we arrive at our campsite I’m convinced I’ve chosen the worst site in the entire campground. There is absolutely no place for a tent. And we actually took the small backpacking tent this time rather than the luxury large tent. After leveling a small spot with a dead branch, we get camp set up. We have the best of friends who provided a steak dinner. I love me a good Mountain House meal, but I must admit this hit the spot quite a bit better than “Chicken and Rice”. We enjoyed a bit of conversation around the campfire before heading to bed. We had a 3:30am wake up time planned to hit Sunrise for sunrise (our companions respectfully declined our invitation to join us).
I settled in on my brand new REI Camp Bed 2.5 (highly recommended) for a good nights sleep in the stillness of the mountain air. Unfortunately, this was shattered about 11pm by Harry and Donna (names have been changed to avoid me being sued). They pulled in late with their RV and proceeded to yell directions and criticism to each other while attempting (multiple times) to back in their trailer. Now mind you, my husband has a CDL and drove 18 wheelers professionally for a few years. And our friends have a monstrous living quarters horse trailer that SHE mostly drives and can park like a pro. So, you can imagine their thoughts as Donna yells directions and Harry yells that he doesn’t understand or can’t hear (And seriously Harry, the whole campground could hear Donna so how you couldn’t is beyond all comprehension). My favorite was “Do what you just did again!!!” I will say that Harry and Donna provided much comedic fodder for the rest of the weekend. They were leaving for the Oregon coast (as we learned when Donna yelled this to her kids). We felt we should probably call to warn someone….
In spite of all those late night shenanigans we managed to peel ourselves out of our tent and commenced with chasing light for the sunrise. I must admit the light was a bit disappointing, but as I’ve said before a disappointing day on the mountain is still much better than a normal day anywhere else. I met a great guy named Tom (this is his real name as I don’t believe he would sue me for using him in my musings). He was traveling here from Denver. We talked about everyone who bailed as soon as the sunrise ended and missed some still beautiful light on the mountain. He told me about the fires burning near his home. I told him not to miss Reflection Lakes and Christine Falls for some beautiful photos. We commiserated over the amount of people that are always around and wished that everyone could just have a little courtesy for everyone around them. He gave me his card and told me to email him before we head to his neck of the woods next year. He’ll tell us all the places no one knows about and never go but that are beyond beautiful. I like Tom, he’s my kind of people. And proof that in the teeming mass of humanity that invades our National Parks on a daily basis you can always find someone to share the quiet beauty with.
The plan for the morning was a through hike on the Sourdough Trail starting at the Sunrise Visitor Center and ending at Sunrise Point. This is the beauty of having two vehicles (our traveling companions had agreed that 7am was a much more acceptable time to meet in the morning). It was a great morning to start a hike. The wildflowers are just starting to poke their heads up and the wildlife was still fairly active at that time of day. We had the trail mostly to ourselves besides sharing it with a friendly marmot and one startled bear. We also spotted a momma bear with two cubs in one of the valleys. I hit 10,000 steps shortly after we finished about 10am, so all in all not a bad morning.
After a well deserved nap (that surprisingly Harry and Donna did not interrupt) it was back to Sunrise for sunset and moonrise. We managed to see the very beginning of the blood moon rise as well as some climbers on the mountain before exhaustion once again raised its ugly head. We were sorely tempted to assist my husband in backing in the Xterra (ala Harry and Donna style) once we arrived back at the campsite, but we decided to be adults.
One more bear sighting running across the road, a delicious burger at the Base Camp Bar and Grill and we’re back home. Already planning the next outing in a couple of weeks. So, stay tuned. Meteors are next….
Another amazing blog post and pictures!