My Very Own Werner Herzog Movie

Mt. Rainier looms over the Seattle skyline. A sister volcano to Mt. St Helens, but nearly twice as tall. It is a reminder that man has not conquered nature and there is little we can do to prevent this mountain from blowing.

Our foray into the mountain was certainly not as extreme as Timothy Treadwell cavorting with grizzlies in Katmai. I did imagine Herzog's lovely German voice narrating our ascent half way up the mountain surviving snow and bears.
It might have been the decrease in oxygen that brought on an adventurous spirit, but our intended short hike turned into a five hour climb into the fog and later snow.

We have been talking about seeing bears for a while. It was shock when I saw a rather large black bear jogging up the path behind me. We also saw a large sow with two cubs from a distance, which was more my comfort zone. Most people we talked to on the path seemed like seeing a bear was the same as seeing a rabbit. Apparently a black bear has never attacked anyone on Mt Rainier and are usually shy tending to the berries.

I highly recommend camping at Cougar Rock in Mt. Rainier National Park. The campsite has a Japanese bio-toilet with the wonderfully warm heated seat found on most Japanese toilets. We managed the below freezing temperatures and snow with our 20 degree mummy bags.

Thought for the Day: We are told, that the black bear is innocent; but I should not like to trust myself with him. ~Samuel Johnson