Hide and Seek

With only a few hours to visit Mt Rainier National Park, I found myself being thwarted at nearly every turn by the atmospheric conditions around the mountain. Warm temperatures combined with upper level moisture to create a constantly building and shifting shroud of clouds around the peak.

Patience paid off, somewhat, by revealing this relatively unobscured view from the pull-out just above Stevens Canyon. I waited here for about 45 minutes to get a clear shot, and this was as good as I could get. Next time, I'll devote more time to this park. I was surprised by how much there is of interest beyond the iconic titular peak, with the Tatoosh Range mountains, the lush cedar forests, and the flower covered plains to the northeast. More than a day trip, to be certain!

Lane, Wahpenayo, Chutla and Eagle

The Tatoosh Range is an east-west oriented series of mountains on the southern border of Mount Rainier National Park.

From the Inspiration Point Overlook vantage, you see from left to right: Lane Peak, Wahpenayo Peak, Chutla Peak, and Eagle Peak. Of these four, Wahpenayo is the tallest by over 200', but the much closer proximity of Lane Peak (a mile away) makes it appear taller.

Lane Peak is named for Franklin Knight Lane the U.S. Secretary of the Interior who established the National Park Service in 1917. Wahpenayo was named for a Native American Chief, Chutla is derived from a Chinook jargon term for rock, and Eagle Peak is the anglicized version of the Native American term for this peak, Simlayshe.

These peaks are popular with hikers during the summer and provide great views of Mount Rainier to the north.