Forum Index > Trip Reports > Two Hikes at Mt. Rainier 7.28-29.07
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Hesman
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Hesman
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PostSun Jul 29, 2007 3:07 pm 
After nearly a month of PMing and working out the details a weekend at Mount Rainier was organized. The main course of the day was to hike from Mowich Lake to Tolmie Peak to watch the sun set over the Olympics and the Puget Sound and watch the moon rise over Mount Rainier. It was also planned that a day hike to Spray Park would take place before making the trip to Tolmie Peak. I was super dooper excited to see that there were no clouds in the sky as I drove up the road to Mowich Lake. This meant that it would be a great show on top of Tolmie Peak this evening. But, alas, it didn't turn out this way. The cloud gods must of had something against me, because about three hours after my Sinmobile and I rolled to a stop at Mowich Lake clouds started accumulating around Mount Rainier. The cloud gods just had to give me heck. Luckily I arrived at Mowich Lake early enough to claim a campsite. After setting up my tent I went in search for the rest of the people I would be hiking with. I soon found Bryan and Iceman725 well embedded at a campsite nearby. We spent a short amount of time learning real names and not screen names. I went off to get some more stuff from my Sinmobile when I found Twister walking to the campground. There were so many cars that Twister had to park a quarter of a mile down the road from the parking lot. One of the NPS rangers said that Saturday was the busiest this summer at Mowich Lake. Once we had all BS'd and set up camp, Twister and I took off towards Spray Park with Bryan and Iceman725 to catch up later. Twister and I made good time to Spray Falls, which was just jam packed with hikers. After checking out the falls we made our way up the trail towards Spray Park. Roughly in the middle of Spray Park, Twister and I found a spiffy spot to eat lunch and cross our fingers that we would get a decent view of Mt. Rainier. All Mt. Rainier did was play peekaboo with us through the clouds. This means I will have to make another trip to Spray Park for a better view of the surrounding landscape. Twister and I decided to return to Mowich Lake so we could eat an early dinner and get ready for our evening walk to Tolmie Peak. We almost reached Spray Falls when we met Bryan and Iceman725 hiking up the trail towards Spray Park. Bryan informed us that he and Iceman725 had met the last two people of our Tolmie Peak group, DooderMange and his hiking companion. The four of them planned to meet Twister and I in a couple of hours at Mowich Lake and then set out for Tolmie Peak. Twister and I had a good dinner and about an hour after we had returned to our campsite Bryan and Iceman725 returned to eat dinner as well. DooderMange and his hiking companion hadn't returned to Mowich Lake yet when we ready to leave. We wondered where they were and we hoped they would catch up with us. We found out later in the evening that DooderMange had decided to spend a little more time at Spray Park. Especially since he's a Kansas transplant and that there aren't many really big hills in Kansas like Mt. Rainier. Anyways we trudged off into the clouds with our fingers crossed that it would lift about the time we were to watch the sun set and the moon rise. There was quite a large field of Avalanche Lilies near Eunice Lake. Where the trail switchbacks above Eunice Lake is a really large field of Bear Grass and I have never seen such a large field of Bear Grass. We all wondered if bears really eat Bear Grass or not. At Tolmie Peak we discovered that there was a NPS volunteer at the lookout. We got to check out the original fire finder (the map has been update since the fire finder was put in the lookout) and Bryan talked lookouts with the volunteer. There were a few late evening hikers at the lookout and the soon left since it was a bit cold. We did get a sneak peek of the Puget Sound when the clouds lifted high enough. We never did see Mt. Rainier, the sun set or the moon rise. NPS volunteer Flash Panolini was very gracious, having an interesting conversation through the lookout windows and for putting up with 4 goofy people camped out on the catwalk for several hours. We had a good walk out in the dark and wondered along the way back to Mowich Lake, "Are we there yet?" The following morning, I was up early (5:15) because of a child in a neighboring tent asking his/her parents persistent questions. After eating breakfast and BSing for a few hours I made my way home. Bryan took off to do a loop hike with Iceman725 in tow for a few hours before he had to return home. Bryan had a few days off from work. Twister left about the same time I did and DooderMange and his hiking companion planned to do a little more hiking before heading home.

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TPayne
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Joined: 06 Dec 2006
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Location: Olympia
TPayne
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PostSun Jul 29, 2007 9:16 pm 
Thanks for the invite HJT. Too bad those low clouds and fog never lifted. It would have been quite a show with the moon rising over Rainier. We'll definetly need to try again soon. Today in Spray Park, the clouds were socked in pretty heavy. A few small patches of blue sky gave a ray of hope, that never turned out. I followed Bryan until 6300 feet. He descended into Seattle Park, and I headed back to Mowich Lake. Only 1 tent remained, and it was 50 degrees with drizzle. The road became a muddy mess in spots. Here's a few additional pics:

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MCaver
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Joined: 14 Dec 2001
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MCaver
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PostSun Jul 29, 2007 10:59 pm 
Iceman725 wrote:
Spray Falls up.gif

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Solo Steve
Harry Mudd wannabe



Joined: 07 Jun 2006
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Location: Federal Way
Solo Steve
Harry Mudd wannabe
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 1:04 am 
ditto.gif Compared to my last visit last September, Spray Falls are most impressive! Nice pic.

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Old Not Bold Hiker



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
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Location: Bend Oregon
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Old Not Bold Hiker
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 2:01 pm 
same day, same mtn, different world
Mt Rainier is just plain a big ole mountain! Did I get the dates right? I was up there hiking on saturday the 28th on the Sunrise side and we seemed to get different weather! We also did 2 hikes, but easy days hikes combined into one. Did the 1&2 Burroughs, came back the glacier view route (with only a tiny spot of dicey snow crossing) then hiked the Palisades lake trail for the flowers.
Marmot pair
Marmot pair
Palisades Lake trail, end of July 2007
Palisades Lake trail, end of July 2007
Sunrise views
Sunrise views
View from the burroughs on Sunrise side of Mt Rainier
View from the burroughs on Sunrise side of Mt Rainier
View of 3rd Burrough from 2nd.  End of July on Rainier from Sunrise side
View of 3rd Burrough from 2nd. End of July on Rainier from Sunrise side
View from the trail, just one step to get to the Glacier below.....
View from the trail, just one step to get to the Glacier below.....

friluftsliv
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Tom
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Tom
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 2:04 pm 
Cool looking lake. Looks like more than just one step though.

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Old Not Bold Hiker



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
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Location: Bend Oregon
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Old Not Bold Hiker
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 2:46 pm 
Tom wrote:
Cool looking lake. Looks like more than just one step though.
Naw, its just one STEP. Then its just a bunch of bouncing and rolling and sliding. eek.gif The trail has a pretty impressive amount of exposure considering how easy access it is for the "flip-flops and pepsi can" set. The snow patches on the climb up to the burrough were relatively easy without quite the same vertigo inducing dropoff to the side, even though the effect of a slip would probably not be a lot different.
Just a tiny patch of snow, and a few hundred vertical feet slide if you slip
Just a tiny patch of snow, and a few hundred vertical feet slide if you slip
Good trail....just don't slip or trip.....
Good trail....just don't slip or trip.....
Climbing up to the Burroughs in July. Just a couple of patches
Climbing up to the Burroughs in July. Just a couple of patches

friluftsliv
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Bryan K
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Joined: 29 Sep 2005
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Location: Alaska
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 5:52 pm 
Well I've returned from my Mother Mt loop to add my .02 worth to this thread. HJT thanks for the invite for a great day/night at Mowich & Tolmie. Too bad about the weather at the lookout, but still a great time anyway. It was great to meet HJT, Twister and Doodermange, I already knew Iceman725, actually he and I met at Tolmie Lookout last September. I told Iceman that it was kind of like Brokeback MT, without the man-sex!!!!! Anyway, here's my addition to the picture gallery.
HJT all blurry and Iceman725 enroute to Tolmie.
HJT all blurry and Iceman725 enroute to Tolmie.
Chug a lug HJT!!
Chug a lug HJT!!
Twister keeping warm.
Twister keeping warm.
MML 026
MML 026
Lillies at night
Lillies at night

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TPayne
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TPayne
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 6:57 pm 
More incriminating evidence...

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El Dooder
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Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 240 | TRs | Pics
Location: Olympia, Washington
El Dooder
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 9:36 pm 
It was great meeting you guys. Gosh look at those pix from the other side of the mountain! There's not a cloud in sight. I had a great time out there--spray park had some really great flowers. I will say one thing--that sunday everybody cleared out and the place was deserted and a lot more relaxed. I think next time I go it'll be on a week day. wink.gif

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