Last Tuesday I decided to sneak out for some midweek skiing with the nice weather… I didn’t sleep as much as a probably ought to, but I feel super lucky to live somewhere where I can leave Seattle at 5:30 after work, get a quick skiing lap in, watch the sunset and sunrise, and be back in town by 10 the next morning.
I headed to Chinook Pass to take advantage of the easy access to the June snowpack, then snapped some photos at Tipsoo Lake (now mostly melted out) at sunset. I also brought my panoramic film camera and am excited to share those images once I finish developing them.
Mount Rainier from Tipsoo Lake at sunset.
I enjoyed the fading light as I ate my sandwich, then drove up a side road for a few miles and hiked by headlamp through the nighttime forest. It’s always fun to turn off your headlamp and pause, listening to the woodsy sounds in the pitch dark. After not too long, I reached a beautiful open meadow and got in my bivy sack, just as the mostly-full moon rose to the east, bathing Mount Rainier in yellow light.
Moonrise and the Milky Way over Mount Rainier.
Strong alpine winds blow clouds over the summit of Mount Rainier, illuminated by the moonlight. I was blissfully asleep as my camera’s self-timer took this shot.
After not nearly enough hours of sleep, my alarm went off, and I quickly grabbed my camera and started hiking as the sky lightened. The clouds to the northeast lit up, and I scrambled to take a few exposures on film before the light faded.
Fiery clouds at sunrise.
I finished the roll of film I had loaded, and pulled it out to realize I it wasn’t the type of film I thought I had loaded - stupid! In my hurry I had shot an entire roll of E100 thinking it was Ektar, and therefore had exposed it as if it was negative film. Stay tuned to see how it comes out :)
Sunrise on Mount Rainier, with a nice “hat” of lenticular clouds. The Emmons and Winthrop Glaciers sit at left, above the Inter Glacier, while Curtis Ridge, with Willis Wall, and Liberty Ridge look imposing on the right.
The sunrise was absolutely stunning, with just enough clouds to make for interesting an interesting sky, and an ever-changing cap of lenticular clouds floating over the summit, unwordly neon in the dawn light.
Panorama of Mount Rainier at sunrise. I’m excited to see how this one comes out on film!
Early spring meadows below Rainier. This whole area was snow covered just a few weeks ago.
As the sun continued rising, the lenticular clouds over the mountain thickened and descended, and an overcast built overhead. I was glad I wasn’t heading for the summit at that moment!
Storm clouds building over Mount Rainier shortly after sunrise.
As I started making my way back towards the road, I saw a herd of Elk romping through the meadow, and enjoyed watching them frolic.
Elk in the meadows below Sluiskin Mountain, with Crescent Mountain at right.
Before I headed back into the forest, I enjoyed photographing the reflection of Rainier in a few small tarns. By then, the light was pretty flat and overcast, but it would be fun to come back!
A stormy Mount Rainier reflected in a small tarn, the summit obscured by cloud.
As I walked through the woods, thunder boomed in the distance, and it started raining a few minutes later. Amazing how quickly the weather can change!