Mount Fremont - 8/17/11

We spent the 1st couple hours of our last day of vacation repacking our luggage to be able to successfully get on the plane (no small task).  There was time for a half day hike so we decided to start from the Sunrise Visitor Center and hike up Mount Fremont.  This was about a 6 mile round trip and only took a couple hours.  There was a 900' elevation gain.  Leesa went on a separate excursion partway up Burroughs Mountain and then on the Silver Forest trail.  She had also made a separate trip to Sunrise (at sunrise) to watch the sun come up.  The rest of us slept until she got back.

Sunrise at Sunrise

Horseshoe Bend, Sunrise Road

Looking down from the hairpin turn on the Sunrise Road

Sunrise Visitor Center Kiosk

Zack and Nick

Zack and Nick starting towards Mount Fremont

Frozen Lake

Frozen Lake

Frozen Lake up close

Mount Fremont with the Lookout Tower in the distant background

Zooming in on the Mount Fremont Lookout Tower

Zack and Nick on the Mount Fremont trail

at the lookout tower

Nick, Mike and Zack

The lookout tower was closed for restoration, but you could peer inside through the windows.

Looking through the flowers towards Rainier from the Lookout Tower

Leesa, heading towards Burroughs Mountain

A chipmunk found a Kashi treat from someone, or was he just hoping to?

At 3 PM we were back at the back and it was time to head back towards Seattle for our over night flight back home.  In 7 seven days, we didn't have a drop of rain.  6 sunny days, and one day with a mix of sun and clouds.  We were sorry to be heading home, but it had been a perfect vacation, and a wonderful 1st trip out west for Zack and Nick.

Camp Muir - 8/16/11

The clouds of Monday 8/15 disappeared overnight and 8/16 was a perfect blue sky day.  Camp Muir was the goal.  We started from the Paradise Visitor Center about 11 AM.  It was a late start because we had to drive a long ways in the morning to get gas!

We all later agreed that this day was the most fun and memorable of the trip.  Going up was fun, but glissading down in the snow was even more fun.  Boot sliding and butt sliding, we descended in 2 hours, after taking 3.5 hours to climb.  I think Zack and Nick were even faster coming down, since I lost sight of them half way down.

Start Elev. at Paradise:  5400'

Camp Muir Elev.:10188'

Elev. Gain:  4788'

Total Hike Time:  5.5 hrs    (brochure said 6-8 hrs) 

Make sure to load the coordinates into a GPS in case you get a whiteout

Perfect Blue Sky - Mt. Rainier from Paradise Visitor Center

From partway up Rainier looking south (towards Mt. Adams?)

Zack and Nick along the trail on the way up

Zack pondering Rainier

A large waterfall to the west of our trail

Guide building at Camp Muir

Hikers shelter at Camp Muir

Ranger building at Camp Muir

A Rainier climbing group at Camp Muir

Guide Service Building

A closeup

Telemark skiers and a snowboarder

The hiker's shelter

Plaque on the hiker's shelter

Inside the hiker's shelter

Mike & Leesa at Camp Muir

Leesa and Mike at hiker's shelter

Zack and Nick at Camp Muir

Zack at Camp Muir

Leesa on the way down

Leesa still on her way down

Sliding chute!

  

Leesa decided to take the easy (and fun) way down

Interesting windblown pattern

Friends in High Places (Marmot) - We saw lots of these!

Off the Muir Snowfield at Pebble Creek

Flowers everywhere below the snowline

Back to Paradise

The combination of the perfect weather, the snowfield, the flowers, the glaciers and the high mountain camp made for an incredible day.  I got a little sunburn on my legs by not putting on enough sunscreen, but that was a small price to pay.