Another foolish weekend in the rain down at Mount Rainier National Park and along the Carbon River valley. I had some regret for NOT taking a particular shot last week so I decided to head back down to get it. Once again, the weather was steady rain and a complete challenge to keep my camera & lenses moisture free.
This was the shot I noticed last week:
I also took advantage of the hike in to explore the old growth forest:
My first visit to Washington State was in the summer of 1992 and I spent a week with my best friend staying with his aunt and uncle. His uncle took us out on a few tourist type outings down to Mount Saint Helens and to Mount Rainier National Park. I was in awe of everything I saw but what left a lasting impression on me was a simple hike to Green Lake in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park. I can’t explain it but the stillness and peace of the setting has always been something I’ve looked forward to. Now that I live here, the opportunity to visit Green Lake in a winter setting is really special to me.
View Larger Map in New Window
Back in 1992, accessing Green lake was pretty easy. The trailhead lies at the side of the road halfway between the Carbon River Park Entrance and the end of the road at Ipsuit Creek Campground. Flooding in the late 1990s changed all of this and sadly, the road can no longer be driven (and most likely will never be repaired). What used to be a 1.8 mile hike is now requires a 3 mile hike along the road just to reach the trailhead. The extra hike along the road makes this a long day but the flip side is that it allows you to enjoy the temperate old growth forest that would normally blur past you while driving the road.
On this particular outing, I expected rain and hoped for snow at the lake (both of which I got). I also enjoyed the entire day in solitude. At the lake, the weather was steady light rain with some brief sleet. After 2 1/2 hours of hiking in the rain, I was saturated and slightly chilled so I was not able to stay as long as I would have liked. After some quick pictures and lunch, I was headed back and trying to take photos of all the things I made a mental note of. I’ll have to make a return trip just to explore the forest along the road..
I’ve been trying to attempt this trip for the last couple weeks but the weather hadn’t cooperated until this past weekend. The destination was Tolmie Peak and Eunice Lake, which are located just 2 miles north of Mowich Lake in the northwest corner of the park. I thought Eunice Lake would provide a nice foreground in contrast to the mountain during sunset and it was still relatively close to the trailhead (which would reduce the time and distance of hiking out in the dark).
90 minutes after starting, I found myself atop Tolmie Peak one hour before sunset. Two things immediately became apparent- tonight would not be a spectacular sunset and the better vantage for photography is WELL below the summit on the 1st switchback up from the lake. Rather than miss any of the sunset light, I opted to stay put at least until the best light had faded. There were no clouds to add interest but Rainier did receive some warm orange light during the peak of sunset.
After Rainier lost its direct light, I quickly packed my gear and flew down the trail back down to what I consider to be the better vantage point (at the lower switchback). I didn’t have much time so I quickly set up to snap one shot that included more of Eunice Lake and the mountain.
Once complete, I put on my headlamp and headed back to the trailhead. The trail to Eunice Lake is completely in forest and, once dark, is REALLY dark! I’d be lying if I didn’t admit some nervousness while hiking out alone. Every trail looks like an Edgar Allen Poe tree by the pale light of a headlamp! This day might not have been the best but there’s great potential for future visits..
Washington’s weather has settled back into its normal pattern- sunny weekdays and cloudy/rainy weekends. Plan A was thwarted once again by the weather so I had to find a Plan B. Given the 100% chance of rain, I tried to keep in the forest and at lower elevation. After rejected a few options, I settled on returning to the Goat Lake Trail off of the Mountain Loop Highway. I had hiked this trail many years ago and remembered that it paralleled Elliott Creek for much of the way to Goat Lake. It seemed like the best option given the 100% chance of rain.
The trail to Goat lake is five miles long and actually has two options- an upper trail and a lower trail. The upper trail follows a decommissioned road while the lower trail follows Elliott Creek. About halfway in, both trails merge and continue onward to Goat Lake. On this day, I focused just on the lower trail and Elliot Creek. It gradually gains elevation as you head up valley and always stays within earshot of the creek. A nice added bonus is that the forest along the lower trail is very diverse and lush, offering even more to look at.
On this particular day, it rained steadily the entire time and both myself and my camera gear got drenched. Thankfully, Pentax makes cameras and lenses that are built to take these kind of conditions! As these outings tend to go for me, the destination wasn’t as important as the trail to it so I only managed to make it a fraction of the way in towards Goat Lake.
Based on my visit last week, I knew that I had to return to Mazama Ridge this week for peak wildflowers. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. The weather was a challenge since it was windblown steady light rain / mist for much of the day. Very late in the day, the weather seemed to finally start breaking up but the mountain itself never revealed itself. I can’t emphasize enough how amazing it is to see the wildflower peak in person. Now to the day’s photos…
