Observation Pk
 Jay and I got a very late start, and managed only a couple miles before we stopped at the Eagles Roost campsite just past Mowich Lake. |
 We were loaded up pretty good for this trip, so it was a good training trip. |
 The next day, we took a side trip to Spray Falls. The sounds was more of a hissing or shushing than a roar -- very peaceful. |
 Once in Spray Park, the views open up and you can see in all directions, but Mt. Rainier dominates over all. |
 Colorful heather and wild blueberry bushes abound. |
 Not only wild busshes, but wild bears too! |
 Hessong Rock rises above the lower park. This is one of three peaks that can be esaily scrambled in one day. (See Fay Peak images) |
 Mt. Rainier and Observation Peak (just above the blue glare spot). |
 Me, Mt. Rainier, Observation Peak and the famous ice wall (to the right of the blue glare). |
 We loved traveling across this terrain. It reminded us of being in a far-away place. Echo Rock is high in the background. |
 Interesting rock formations. These seem to have been melted on one side, indicative of past volcanic activity. |
 With Spray Park well behind us, we decided to reach Observation Peak by the most direct route - straigh up the snow (well, actually ICE) slope. |
 We found a nice campsite between Echo and Observation, amid the red volcanic rock. |
 Before settling down, we decided to continue, after we st up camp, to Observation. Our tent is the little yellow spec, on the rock, just above the shadow. |
 Me on the summit of Observation, with the Ptarmigan Ridge of Mt. Rainier behind me. |
 Jay, comfortably resting at the summit. Notice the thick Ptarmigan Cliff just above Jay's helmet. |
 The Observation Peak USGS summit marker in the foreground. |
 Sunset on Mt. Rainier. The bivy site for the Ptarmigan Ridge route is just below the bright spot and beneath the ice cliff. |
 In the morning, after a very windy night in which the tent got hammered (but held strong), we awoke to cold temps and a dusting of snow. |
 With all the signs of an approaching storm, we decided to take out time, enjoy the day and head home. |
 The wind velocity increases as we hike on the hardened permant snow field. |
 At this point we had to put on our crampons to finsh the desecnt off teh snow field. |
 In this image, the winds can be seen blowing the clouds from right to left. In the center isObservation Peak, the Ice Wall and the snowfield we traveled on the day before. |
 Once in Spray Park and off the snow, the temperatures increased considerably. |
 One last view of Observation Peak -- the colorful ground cover helped to make every scene more special. |