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
Morning Mysteries
I am sitting on the edge of the seat waiting for the results of the election to finalize. The nervousness is palpable, impacting my every awake moment. I try to distract my mind, but the effort is futile.
During times like these, I jump into my archives of photos to find my happy moments, recollecting those blissful scenes that make me feel elevated, and perhaps a little less edgy. This is one such morning scene from Mt Rainier, and it is scenes like these that are my escape from the hard-edged reality we are in right now.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
The Early Bird
It pays to wake up early, but sometimes this action borders on the verge of stupidity.
I had a grand old goal of climbing to a viewpoint near Mt Rainier to catch sunrise in the summer. And when it was announced that the roads had just opened to the area, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to head up there. What I didn't factor into the calculations were the early 5:30am sunrises that meant leaving home at 2:30 in the morning to give enough time to drive and hike up in the dark.
And yet, I somehow managed to yank myself out of the cozy confines of my bed after a mere 4 hours of sleep, drive in the pitch black inkiness of the night, and hike up the rocky trail just as dawn colors were breaking in the sky.
But the reward was worth it: a beautiful sunrise over a serene mountainous landscape, with Mt Rainier to give me company.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Mountain Magic
Grand Park was unlike any other place I have been: a vast meadow budding with wildflowers, with the classic profile of Mount Tahoma and and Little Tahoma framing the background. It almost took me back to a fairytale wonderland, and I would been transported to such a place, were it not for the swarms of mosquitoes, I certainly would have been.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Seeking Nature
The last few months have left their mark on this planet, in more ways than one. It is certainly a stressful time for many, especially when stress relief is not easy to come by.
My stress relief has been to go out in nature, smell the fresh scent of a morning forest, see the majesty of the mountains from a bird's eye view, and hear the rustle of trees, the gurgle of brooks and the chirp of birds. Being outside, and maybe photographing these scenes, were the ways to warm my soul and clear my mind. And it is exactly these that I have striven not to do for the last few months.
It hasn't been easy, but it is necessary. These scenes will be waiting when I get back to nature.
Seattle
WA USA
Sleepless in Seattle
As the boundaries between work and home are erased (for some), the lines between the days of the week are also getting blurred. In the past years, I'd look forward to traveling as the spring season rolled around into the Pacific Northwest. They'd be the delightful breaks that motivated me to complete work early and plan for my next sojourn. These set the boundaries that defined my year in perspective
But in this new era, that is no longer the case, and as the days roll on, I have to find new mile markers to define my life.
I am blessed that I can continue to work remotely, which is not the case for many in this beautiful city. My heart goes out to those who keep this city (and others) running like a well-oiled machine despite the sever restrictions we face now.
Seattle
WA USA
Above the Turmoil
I stared at the everchanging cloudscape below me, sweeping over rugged peaks and covering deep valleys, pondering over the beauty of this spellbinding landscape. I cautiously stepped in front of my camera, giving in to the draw of this dynamic panorama around Mt Rainier.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
A Sea of Clouds
The trail ahead disappeared into the fog barely a few yards in front of me. The moving clouds of mist clung to the slope, marring any views of the surrounding landscape even as I approached within striking distance of the fire lookout that was to be my abode for the next few hours.
I was ready to give up, turn back and go home, but I decided to wait the fog out. And barely an hour before sunset, the fog finally did give in, as it slowly dropped below the lookout, exposing a vista of endless clouds.
I waited until twilight to capture the serenity above the tumultuous clouds swirling all around.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
Blues of Mt Rainier
I turned my head east, into the glowing orb of the sun. A silhouette of endless peaks beckoned. Mountaintops were lit bright, while shadows stretched deep into the dark misty valleys below. This was a blue sunrise at Mt Rainier
I had arrived at that lookout point at dawn, hoping to capture sunrise lighting the imposing massif of Mt Rainier. As the deep whites of the glacier-capped Mt Rainier cycled through a vibrant scarlet, lush orange, and bright yellows, I became completely engrossed in shooting the light unfolding in front of me. And I had completely ignored the blue silhouette of endless peaks forming behind me. Until I turned my head east.
From atop this peak, I circled round and round: the massif of Mt Rainier on the west, the distant glowing summit of Mt Adams to the south, an unending series of blue mountain ranges on the east, the glacial summits of Mt Baker and Glacier peak to the north. Nowhere else could one be treated to such a noble sunrise vista.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
Alpenglow at Rainier
I opened my eyes to a loud alarm. It blinked 4am.
I was dazed, a light hangover persisting from last night, and wondering why I had set the alarm so early?
Then it all came back. Sunrise at Mt Rainier. My date was at 7:30am. It is a 2hr drive and a 45min hike to get to the viewpoint. And it was the last weekend before the road closed for the winter.
...
The smooth pavement stretched into the fog, winding between ranches and forests heading into the black unknowns. I didn't even have time for coffee. It was pure determination to capture this that kept me going.
...
Mt Rainier was glowing in an ethereal pre-dawn light. I was still a mile away from the viewpoint, hiking as fast as my legs could carry me. Another 15 minutes.
...
The Belt of Venus slowly dipped into the horizon: a band of pink and blue curving over the western horizon: earth's shadow casted into the sky. And as it descended, the tip of Rainier was glowing pink, matching the color of the sky beyond. I was all alone atop this viewpoint, enjoying Nature's spectacle
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA