Skyline Trail Day Hike

On a sunny Saturday two weeks ago I hiked the Skyline Loop Trail in Mount Rainier NP with my friend Scott.  This was our third Mount Rainier hike this year and one of the very few loop trips within my walking range these days.  We could not have asked for a better day.  We walked counterclockwise, starting from the busy visitor center with a fair amount of company.  Didn't take long to encounter snow which was common off and on for the entire route.  Snow was deep in places after some big storms but sufficiently well-trod to be well packed.   I post-holed a couple of times and had to pay a lot of attention to my footing but had no problems.  By the end of the six miles, though, I was tired and my hip was beginning to hurt.

We had exceptional views.  To the north was Rainier's mass loomed over us, up close and personal.  Immediately south was the Tatoosh Range.  Beyond were more Cascade ridges and peaks.  As we climbed higher, Mount Adams came into view, dominating the far horizon.  Barely visible farther beyond, we could see the pyramid shape of Mount Hood.  Looking southwest, we saw that we had climbed well above the saddle below Eagle Peak that was our destination in September.  Mount Saint Helens was in the far distance.

But most of all, we had sunlight, lots of it.  The world felt open and wide and we were walking on top of it.

A few images:
 

Starting out

Cascades and Tatoosh in the southeast

Snow scrambling

As close as we got

More Tatoosh

Mount Adams

Mt. Saint Helens, Eagle Peak and Nisqually River

Drainage

Myrtle Falls