Glacier Basin

[tiggymalvern]

Last Friday was the last forecast day of nice weather, and I took off back to Mount Rainier/Tahoma National Park, this time to Glacier Basin. I only went there once, many years ago - it was the first hike I did at Rainier/Tahoma after I moved here.

I had something of a repeat of the Wallace Lake experience, unfortunately. The forecast was mostly sunny with a bit of cloud, and that was the case practically the whole of the drive there. As I crossed the National Park boundary, there was more cloud, unfortunately, and it stayed mainly overcast all the way up and only started to clear as I headed back down.


A waterfall in a small stream running down to the White River.


Leaves starting to change colour alongside the trail.


Pearly everlastings living up to their name.


Old mining junk by the trail from many decades ago, before it was a national park.


Emerging from the trees into Glacier Basin, with a hint of sunlight.


And to give an idea of where I was, this is a photo I took looking over Glacier Basin from Burroughs Mountain on my hike the previous week.


From inside Glacier Basin, you really can't see much of Tahoma/Rainier, because it's hidden by the smaller peaks in between. Not that I would have been able to see it that day anyway because of the cloud.

The meadow inside Glacier Basin. The mountain behind it is Burroughs, that I stood on top of just a week before.


I don't know what these dying flowers are, but they were still pretty.


Looking across the glacier stream, a tributary of the White River, to Mount Ruth.


More of the glacier streambed, looking downhill.


Descending the trail, with the clouds starting to break a little.




Little Tahoma emerging from the clouds on the descent.


Looking back up the White River on the drive out of the park.


6.5 miles round trip, 1650 feet of elevation gain. This might well have been my last high elevation hike of the year - from the day after this hike, it has rained significantly every day, with intermittent thunderstorms, and the road to Sunrise is closed due to snow. Summer is gorgeous up there, but short!

Comments

[bymyverytoes]

The weather was perfect for photography by the look of it. What glorious views!

[tiggymalvern]

Sadly not :-( When the sky is grey overcast, there's no interesting lighting, and trying to find an exposure that doesn't make the foreground look dark while not making the sky look white is a real struggle. I mostly managed it, but with that photo of Mount Ruth it was impossible. I tossed out all the photos I took on the way up in favour of ones on the way down when the cloud was starting to lift just a bit. I would have much preferred a mix of blue sky and cloud like in the last photo! But it was still a good day to get out before the rain came :-)

[kronette]

it's SO PRETTY

[tiggymalvern]

It was lovely! Noticeably cooler than the previous week, though. I was fine hiking in my T-shirt, but when I stopped to eat lunch, I had to put on a sweater.

[tameiki]

I may be weird but I love cloudy, overcast days, and your pictures were so pretty!

[tiggymalvern]

The main problem with the cloud was that it was cool enough I had to put on a sweater when I got the basin and stopped moving!