Mt. Rainier

In the Cascades mountains volcanic peaks such as Mt. Rainier
loom above the terrain always foretelling the possible future.
It is one of the many mountains residing in the "Ring of Fire"
which is the name geologists have given the chain of volcanoes
that girdle the entire Pacific Ocean. The mountain is truly a
spectacular vista weather in full daylight or when the alpine
glow of dusk bathes it in a soft pink. The mountain is just north of Mount St. Helens which exploded in May of 1980. But the threat of the mountains do not deter the many climbers who wish to claim victory over Mt. Rainier.

It was late in the year and most of the park buildings were closed for the winter when we arrived. I took a stroll along the pathway hoping to see a different view for a picture. As I rounded a sharp bend in the path there before me, just over the concrete barrier was a magnificient mountain goat. I just had to have his picture and after struggling with myself, "Should I or should I not?," I climbed over the retaining wall onto a sloping layer of loose shale. Each step I took loosened the shale beneath my feet and I could not see the bottom of the mountain from my angle. Still I struggled to within 50 feet of the goat and got about 12 photographs before the film ran out. After I hurried to re-load hoping for even more shots I looked up and like a ghost he had vanished without a sound or a shadow. One of the photos was later used on the back cover of Chevron Magazine and you can see the mountain goat on the mammals page.

 

Webster, back to Scenics.

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