Emmons
This is a trip with friends to Mt. Rainier's summit in July 2002. We had nearly perfect conditions beginning with the year's hottest day.
 Along the trail the warm temperatures create some fabulous waterfalls |
 Glacier Basin. Mt. Rainier peeks out one last time. |
 Kirk and Carl. Carl experienced some cloudy vision and descended short of the top. In the background, the route we took can be seen. |
 Way to go Larry! Excellent job on your successful summit! |
 Here, Larry is the last of the team to arrive safely to camp. |
 Success photo of our rope team with Mt. Rainier in the background. Chris, Jon, Kirk and me. |
 By this time, we are tired, dehydrated, and our feel are sore. |
 The snow becomes slushy and balls up under our crampons. We downclimb carefully because each step is a potential slip and fall. |
 Half-way there, Kirk looks back at the summit. (below, above Kirk's helmet, is the camp). |
 We desecnd carefully as the sun begins to warm the air and soften the snow. |
 The panorama unfolds before us, as peaks rise from the hazy cover of morning. |
 As we begin our descent, we meet Jesse's team as they pass by us on their summit push. |
 From the summit and looking across the crater that we hiked. Now we need to go across once again to Kirk and Jon. |
 This photo shows part of the crater rim. The flags are a marker to the summit. |
 My summit photo -- Point Success and Mt. Adams are behind me. |
 Chris and I stand on the true summit! Liberty Cap is behind us. |
 We made it! Chris and Kirk in the crater. Behind them, climbers hike the quarter mile to Columbia Crest. |
 We pass over a small crevasse on the final push to the crater rim. |
 As we near the top, we see Mt. Adams far in the distance. |
 Near the top, we traversed eastward to bypass the bergschrund and eventually met with the DC Route into the crater. |
 Lower valleys are filled with dense fog that appears as lakes of clouds lapping uopn the peaks. |
 Soon, the visibility extends to the horizon to show off the beautiful landscape surrounding the mountain. |
 As the sun rises, the entire mountain glows in amber. |
 The angle doesn't relent for very long and soon it becomes a mental game of one foot then the other... |
 The upper elevations are the first to see the sun while the valleys are still in darkness. Here a wand marks the safe path. |