I still remember my first visit to Rainier early one spring many years ago. I had driven along sinuous mountain roads enthralled by the lush vegetation along the lower approach. I had truly felt that I was in Paradise, which was also my destination for the day. However, as soon as I had breached the forest cover in Longmire, I realized that the trip was not going to be worth it as the the entire peak was hidden away in the clouds.

I had continued driving about 30 minutes up the road, hoping that the sky would open up. Instead, Paradise was just a gloomy rendition of a city park in the midst of winter: slushy snow substituting for the ground, gloomy skies and ground-level fog that nixed visibility and no hope of seeing the mighty Mt Tahoma. I turned around disappointed, vowing to come back again.

And now, living in the Pacific Northwest, I get to spy the mighty Tahoma on every clear day, and I get the opportunity to visit it few times every year as it is almost close enough for a day trip. This image was from one such return visit to capture the first light on Rainier reflected on a lake.

Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA