Sunrise to Lake Eleanor, Mt Rainier NP 18.6 mile solo hike.

rooinater · Sep 4, 2008

My first solo hike this season, the original plan was to hike the northern loop at mt rainier, but with impending weather and threatening snow for wednesday, i wanted to be out before the snow hit. So i opted for an 18.6 mile round trip instead of 33miles.

got to sunrise and started hiking up and along sourdough ridge,

intersected with the wonderland trail,

the wonderland trail goes up, and the northern loop heads down, entering berkley park.

looking towards skyscraper mt from berkley park

going back below the tree line

almost to grand park

grand park

me in grand park with ranier in the clouds

leaving grand park

rooinater · Sep 4, 2008

camp at lake eleanor, the mosquitos were horendous, i had to walk briskly while eating to get the least amount of bug bites no matter how much 98% deet i had on... and plenty of shots of the new tent... will post more in the gear section on the build up.

the return trip in the fog and rain.

the lake in the am.

breakfast stop at grand park, i wasn't wasting the time fighting off the mosquitos at the lake for breakfast.

second test of the my new f1 ultralight stove

more grand park, with an earie yet nice fog/rain

can you spot rainier...

grand park, nothern loop trail junction

back into the trees and through berkley park towards the wonderland trail.

rooinater · Sep 4, 2008

the largest animal i spotted... a marmot

Boonie Buster · Sep 4, 2008

Nice!!!

So you just spend the one night out there? That is an awesome looking hike! I am jealous I haven't gotten my lazy butt out as much this year... maybe this weekend...:booo:

rooinater · Sep 5, 2008

Boonie Buster said:
Nice!!!

So you just spend the one night out there? That is an awesome looking hike! I am jealous I haven't gotten my lazy butt out as much this year... maybe this weekend...:booo:

yeah just the one night. the week that i did it, it was supposed to start snowing between 6k to 6500 feet... wet shoes + freezing temps were not conditions i wanted to encounter. since then i've replaced my couple year old hiking shoes for some goretex lined shoes. to at least help with how bad my feet were soaked. The route i was going to take all the camps were permitted out for the half of the trail that was on the wonderland trail. with luck i'll get to try again at the northern loop trail before fall quarter of college starts. if you want a short hike to the lake or grand park, if you drive around the park there is a logging road that drops you off a mile from the lake and 3 miles from grand park. but i wanted some what of a hike and more scenery...

GRNTACO · Sep 5, 2008

Firggin awesome! I've done that same trip. Grand Park is one of my favorite places.:awesomework:

Motodestroyer69 · Sep 5, 2008

You went solo, right? I like the Survivor-man shots!! :haha: :haha:

Awesome looking hike, nice pics!! :cheer: :cheer:

rooinater · Sep 7, 2008

Motodestroyer69 said:
You went solo, right? I like the Survivor-man shots!! :haha: :haha:

Awesome looking hike, nice pics!! :cheer: :cheer:

yep, all the pics of me without the trekking poles was because they were being used as a camera holder. the pic of me with the trekking poles was taken by another group of hikers.

Glenn · Sep 7, 2008

Nice pics! I've done some hiking on Sourdough Ridge from Sunrise.

unclestripey · Sep 7, 2008

Beautiful pics man. I'm so missin the high country this year, Whered the season go?

rooinater · Sep 7, 2008

unclestripey said:
Beautiful pics man. I'm so missin the high country this year, Whered the season go?

it started a few weeks ago, and is slowly becoming fall... :eeek: might get one more chance to get out for a couple days next week.

unclestripey · Sep 7, 2008

Usually I'm out doin' Stuff all year.. This year I got so busy in March I looked up and it's September. I'm on the home stretch on a couplke of projects and don't forsee much time soon--other than a bunch of trail runnin next weekend!

gas is on the right · Sep 8, 2008

....

your frikin nuts... im scared of the dark LOL!.... but good pictures .... looks fun I think I would go with a buddy if it was me:awesomework:

unclestripey · Sep 8, 2008

gas is on the right said:
your frikin nuts... im scared of the dark LOL!.... but good pictures .... looks fun I think I would go with a buddy if it was me:awesomework:

Sometimes its good to be able to really "get away"... there have been a few times a buddy would have been comforting...ever meet a bear on thier turf?

rooinater · Sep 8, 2008

unclestripey said:
Sometimes its good to be able to really "get away"... there have been a few times a buddy would have been comforting...ever meet a bear on thier turf?

generally my girlfriend comes along on most my hikes, but mid week on college break it's a little hard to find people to go. that and i enjoy the solitude and peace of the long trip with great scenery. haven't ran into a bear close up, i only ever run across their droppings or from a good distance. that trip i ran across a bear dung pile, cougar dung pile, lynx dung pile but no large animals, i was hoping, but nothing.

unclestripey · Sep 8, 2008

rooinater said:
generally my girlfriend comes along on most my hikes, but mid week on college break it's a little hard to find people to go. that and i enjoy the solitude and peace of the long trip with great scenery. haven't ran into a bear close up, i only ever run across their droppings or from a good distance. that trip i ran across a bear dung pile, cougar dung pile, lynx dung pile but no large animals, i was hoping, but nothing.

2 years ago I did a quick trip from Marblemount to Stehekin over Cascade pass, ran in to three seperate blacks...#1 early in the morning--5am?--he cruised with me just out of site for 1/2 mile or more, could hear him gruntin' #2 On a side trip towards Rainy Pass I saw a warning sign with a mug shot, later saw the little guy, I had just passed a group of three hikers coming the other way who told me about him cruzin thier camp..They had to throw rocks at him to back him off...150yrds further up I ran into him, he was stalking them just out of sight, I ran back to them to let em know and took evasive action up the side of the hill. #3 We just watched eachother from accross the river just west of high bridge. Havn't seen one since.