Undaunted, we return, triumphantly!

We were almost 2 1/2 hours away from Rainier, heading toward other adventures, when the blue skies called us back. The live cam from the Visitors Center we were at yesterday showed only high clouds. So being the itinerary-free adventurers we are, we headed back in! This was slightly psycho on several counts, but it turned out to be the right call.

While we did NOT attempt to re-visit that particular spot (2+ hours stop-and-go traffic just to GET to it, ZERO percent chance of a parking spot without a multi-mile walk if we actually got there.) But still plenty of wonderful viewing opportunities. Mount Rainier is truly one of a kind. And when it appears suddenly as you turn a corner, it’s like a giant moon is coming up on the horizon.

We also enjoyed our share of glacial geological wonders, our favorite. We made our crazy turn around decision at about 1pm, and by 5pm as we were heading back down the mountain, that same low cloud cover from yesterday was again starting to obscure the top of old Rainier. Perfect timing finally!

I love this: the next two photos are of the exact same spot, today vs yesterday!

And then just like that the clouds start rolling in, obscuring the top of the mountain…

At one of our last viewing areas, the mountain was already obscured. While there, in a matter of minutes, a small cloudless window passed over, giving us a nice (partial) peek at Rainier!

And then, not minutes later down the road, a final beautiful, completely unobscured view of the mountain.