Recently there has been speculation that Mount Rainier has been measured incorrectly in the past. The most recent measurement had came in 1988.
This year the Land Surveyor's Association of Washington set out to measure the height of Washington's tallest peak using newer GPS technology.
A team of nine surveyors carried GPS units to the summit of Mount Rainier. The GPS units, which weighed about two pounds, connected to 45 satellites. This is very different compared to the 1988 measurement that had 140 surveyors and over 40 pounds of GPS units.
And their results?
"The new elevation came in at only a few inches different than the previous observations," said Larry Signani, team geodesist for all three expeditions. "The published value will remain at 14,411 feet."
At least we know that the mountain has shrunk. No matter the height, it still is a stunning mountain.
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