Skyscraper Pass — Thursday, Sep. 11, 2003

Mount Rainier Area > NE - Sunrise/White River

It rained all week---but my day was today and the good Lord brought out the sun! Gary and I were amazed as we made the haul up the road to Sunrise in Mount Rainier National Park to see nothing…but blue sky and a huge mountain staring at us! While I missed sunrise on the mountain this week compared to my luck last weekend it still was stunning. And what a difference only SIX days makes. Last Saturday it was so hot. Well fall is zipping in on us in a hurry at Sunrise. It was bitter cold up there at 6300’ even in the sun at 10am. A cold breeze blowing and it wasn’t above 45 degrees outside. Still wore shorts however! But my hands and ears were COLD the first ½ hour. The other huge change: where was the smoke? Six days ago from Sun Top Mountain the north portion of the national park was a plume of smoke from the Redstone Mountain fire. Apparently as many buckets of rain fell here as did in Fall City this week as there was absolutely no smoke visible today! From atop Skyscraper Mountain you could see the burned areas across the West Fork White River valley below us. You could even smell the smell of burnt wood when the wind blew right. But no visible smoke was seen. Thus the area was crisp and beautiful in all directions. Mount Fremont was towering to the east and Berkley Park below us is gorgeous. And of course Grand Park…how I love Grand Park to the south. From up there the place looked like an airport runway could be there it is so flat! The ice patterns on Mount Rainier were lovely and very photogenic today from that side of the mountain---bright glare of the sunlight reflecting off of the ice. It sure looked like the upper half of the mountain finally got fresh snow to whiten it up again this week. Hoary marmots, one of my favorite critters, were the most active I have ever in my life seen them. Fall is such a great time to see them as they were SO active in eating and wow, are they fat plump rascals now! One was so huge it could only lay in the heather like a whale and watch me walk by 20’ away. From the start of the Wonderland Trail to Skyscraper Pass…about 3.4 miles…we saw no fewer than 17 of them! One family unit was amazing with two little ones! They were very bashful today and I was unsuccessful in shooting any of those little guys…with the camera you nut. Saw active squirrels around Frozen Lake and by Berkley Park in masses—golden mantled squirrels I think they were but I’m not 100% sure at the moment. I had high hopes of seeing ptarmigans today but no luck. They do favor the higher ridges of Fremont and Burroughts Mountains which I didn’t visit today so hopefully others had more luck. Raptors were heavily concentrated over the area and one appeared to be a lovely golden eagle—watch out marmots! Clark’s nutcrackers were flying about over the ridges and calling in earnest. Finally, just when leaving the 7078’ summit of Skyscraper Mountain, a mama mountain goat and her young kid appeared on the ridge north of the summit from me. Even at the vast distance between us they were very intently watching my actions. Gentians, asters, white yarrow, and pussytoes were blooming still in areas. One single red paintbrush flower was still in bloom too, holding on to the last bites of summer.