The snow has receded so much from the peak of Mount Rainier that the caldera — the round crater of the volcano — was visible, a thin line of black stone against the white of what little snow there is. The snow pack is half what it should be this year and 50 inches less than the lowest number on record.
The data on the snow pack came from the rangers at the visitor’s center in Sunrise on the northeast side of the peak. Also: the gestation period for elk is about eight months, longer than it is for bears, the sup-alpine fir holding up the sky were hundreds of years old, pica stockpile grasses and other foodstuffs for winter because they don’t hibernate, and perhaps most importantly, a slice of pie acquired at 700 feet will be exceptionally delicious after a hike at 6400 feet.
It is already late season on the slopes of the great mountain that towers over greater Puget Sound. The grasses are brown and gold, the leafy plants — Oregon grape, maybe, and huckleberry — have turned to a lovely cranberry shade, and the wildflowers, only the very late comers remain, a few purple blossoms. Shadow Lake has receded, evaporated in the relentless sun of summer. Chipmunks scampered down across the sandy border to take a drink.
The light was wrong for photography but I took pictures anyway, ignoring the back-lighting and shooting directly into the sun. The colors were so saturated, the sky was the bluest of Kodakchrome blues. At Sunrise Point, the clouds were just below eye level, held at bay by a craggy line of black peaks and then, the sweeping dome of Rainier itself.
It takes about two and a half hours to get from Seattle to Mount Rainier, longer if you have to stop for coffee and to buy snacks from a roadside general store and gas station. It takes longer still if you decide you need to stop in the Federation Forest to wander down to the river and then, wind your way through the giant Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir.
It’s not worth hurrying, even when the days are shorter. The mountain does not care how much you save for next time.
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In case you’re wondering, as (almost) always, all these were shot with my Panasonic Lumix pocket camera.