Rainier Sunrise (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[regnaD kciN]

So there I was, up at 3:30 in the morning and on the road to Mount Rainier by 4:00, hoping to get some sunrise photos of the mountain with the reflection of Tipsoo Lake, an iconic spot on Chinook Pass.

Except...well, for one thing, I realized that, at this time of year, I'd have to be on the road by 3:00, not 4:00, to be ready and in position at the lake. Anyway, it wouldn't have mattered, as I discovered, once I finally got there, that the Tipsoo Lake trailhead was still under several feet of snow (!).

But, on the way up, as I climbed out of the forest, I rounded a bend in the road and came to an unidentified viewpoint pullout...and there, right in front of me, was the mountain bathed in alpenglow.



Fortunately, I had the sense to grab a sure thing rather than take a chance on my intended destination, and set up the tripod to catch the sunrise. After a few minutes, the morning had come to Rainier.



On the way back down, I was able to get some photos of the surrounding ranges and valleys in the early light.



Some rock details from the cliff face on the climb to Chinook Pass.





And, of course, it wouldn't be one of my Cascade Range shoots without at least one example of Water Falling Over Things, would it? ;-) In this case, it's Pass Falls.



My next goal, once the road up the east side of Rainier opens on July 1st, will be to get another series of the sunrise from...Sunrise! (Paradise will have to wait for later...)