September 4th – Sneaking up on Rainier
We awoke to a cold morning with clouds moving in. They would stay with us all day. Thick, low clouds – overcast and gray. There was a humid mist most of the day. A light drizzle fell a couple times though not for very long. The rain gear came out more for warmth than anything else.
Ripe huckleberries made for a pleasant distraction when not too wet to pick. As we climbed down the flank of Mt Adams we climbed out of the clouds, literally below their “ceiling.” And a couple times they parted briefly to show blue skies, but all too soon returned to their overcast position. Needless to say we had none of the views of the Goat Rocks or Mt Rainier that are part of this approach. It felt like we were sneaking up on Mt Rainier, as if we might end up right in front of it without any kind of introduction.
This was also, by far, the coldest day we have had in a long time, if not the whole trip. Sure some nights have been colder, but as far as daytime goes, this was the first time I have pulled out the polypro bottoms and even then I had to add the rain pants to stay warm.
The lack of views was a shame. I don’t know if it makes it better or worse, but we know what we are missing. I vividly recall this section from ’94. It is one of the most scenic of the entire trail, with great views of glaciated canyons as well as stunning profiles of Mt Adams retreating and Mt Rainier approaching. So fantastic is the scenery that in ’95 the Carrot and I came here for 4 days just to hike the Goat Rocks. Both times we were blessed with views. Today we looked out at the mist with our memories.
It is an irony that almost all the nagging pains in my feet go away on the uphills. The downhills are a pain. And not just the jarring of the knees that many people dread, but the toes and heels too.
We saw many weekenders out today, despite the weather. Such is the way of Labor Day weekend. Or perhaps all these northwesterners are simply accustomed to clouds and rain.
Late in the day, chasing darkness again, we came across 3 very curious mule deer. They were not frightened, they just watched us very closely util we passed.
We made camp, after almost 28 miles, at the east fork Cispus Creek. When we arrived there were already other hikers with a tent set up. Fortunately there was plenty of room for us as well. It turned out to be a couple here for the weekend whom we had met back at McKenzie Pass about 2 weeks ago while they were out day hiking.
The night is very cold and windy…
