Mt. Rainier time lapse video of lenticular clouds

Yesterday I noticed some cool clouds up on Mount Rainier on my way to work. So did this camera.

TacomaWeatherCam.com captured this great video of lenticular clouds over Mt. Rainier on Jan. 26, 2011.



According to Komo 4 News the clouds are actually very common.

The cloud is formed when warm, moist air runs into the surface of Mt. Rainier. The mountain's topography forces the air upward, which cools and condenses the air -- turning it into a cloud.

As the air sinks back on the other side of the mountain, it dries out and the cloud dissipates. That's why it just hangs over the summit area.

Although it looks like it is "hanging" over the mountain, air is continually flowing over the summit, as the video proves.

Carl Fabiani article

Yesterday the Tacoma News Tribune ran a great article by Craig Hill on Carl Fabiani.

One day soon, hikers on the Glacier Basin Trail will cross an unnamed creek about halfway up the path with hardly a second thought about the short wooden bridge under their boots.

Such is the case with most of Carl Fabiani’s projects. You might not know his name, but if you’ve hiked in Mount Rainier National Park in the last 45 years, you know his work.

Whether chopping through downed trees or bureaucratic red tape, Fabiani has been building and repairing trails in the park since he graduated from Buckley’s White River High School in 1965.

Check out the rest of the article over on the Tacoma News Tribune site.

Mount Rainier still 14,411 feet tall

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.

National Park free weekend

This weekend, August 14 and 15, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees to help encourage all Americans to visit the national parks.

"This fee-free weekend provides an opportunity for individuals and families alike to take an affordable vacation or to explore a nearby park they have never visited before," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. "I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free admission to visit not only our greatest natural wonders but also our nation's historic and cultural icons."

There are 391 national parks in our national and many offer views that can only be seen there. So if you haven't visited a national park lately, why not head out there for free this weekend?

Also, please note that the fee waiver is only for the entrance fees. Any camping fees, reservation fees and special bus tour fees are still in place.

Climber summits Mount Rainier for 500th time

I saw this on The Adventure Guys blog. Pretty amazing.

At 6:10 this morning George Dunn stepped onto the 14,411-foot summit of Mount Rainier and into the record books.

The 56-year-old guide and director of Ashford’s International Mountain Guides became the first person to successfully climb the mountain 500 times.

Dunn and the six other members of his party left Ingraham Flats at about 11,000 feet shortly after midnight and battled less-than-optimal weather conditions on the way to the summit.

Completing the summit with Dunn was his 16 year-old son, his wife and Phil Ershler. This was Ershler's 440th time summiting Mount Rainier.

Dunn holds the record for the most summits of Mount Rainier and becomes the first to reach 500. Ershler, who completed this summit with Dunn, is number two with 400.

Only eight people have ever made it more than 300 times. The other five people are:

Brent Okita, 405
Craig Van Hoy, 378
Paul Maier, 371
Jason Edwards, 314
Gary Talcott, 304
Robert Link, 301

You can read the full story over at The Adventure Guys blog through The Tacoma News Tribune.

Thank A Ranger Day

Today, July 29, is Thank A Ranger Day.

Thank A Ranger Day was initiated back in 2006 by RMNPforums.com and RMNPguide.com in memory of Jeff Christensen, a ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park who died in a fall on July 29, 2005, while on a backcountry patrol.

Many National Park travelers use this day to thank rangers that they come across in the park. But you don't need a special day to thank them for what they do.

Rangers provide a number of rolls within the parks that tourists visit. They answer questions, provide information and maps, offer suggestions on hikes or destinations, host campfire activities for children and also know first-aid and respond in emergency situations.

So the next time you see a Ranger in a park. Thank them. For if it wasn't for the work they did, you wouldn't have the parks that you love to visit.

Maybe another year

Sad news today from the Just Northwest offices. Do to some very unfortunate circumstances we won't be able to do the Wonderland Trail this year.

I am very very upset about this. I thought about doing it by myself, but decided that a 10 day solo backpack trip wasn't really the adventure I had in mind.

I wanted to share this trip with someone not just do it by myself. So I guess Jeff and I will have to try it another year.

Sad day.

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 3

It's time for preview number three of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers take off on our great Wonderland Trail adventure tomorrow.

The last two days I've previewed the history and facts about the Wonderland Trail and about wilderness permits and campgrounds on the trail.

Today I'll cover the gear that we'll be packing on the trip.

Gear for the trip

Like any mountain, the weather on Mount Rainier can change very quickly. And storms are a normal occurrence. Because of this, we have to plan ahead and use the Boy Scout motto. Be Prepared.

Here's what we will be bringing on the trip:

BACKPACK

• 1 backpack
• 1 backpack rain cover

CLOTHING (this includes what I will be wearing)

• 2 long sleeved shirts (synthetic, polyester material)
• 1 pair of hiking pants (Bear Grylls style)
• 1 pair of hiking shorts
  
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 4 pairs of smart wool socks
• 3 pairs of liner socks
  
• 1 pair of hiking boots (pre-broken in)
• 1 pair of sandals (or camp shoes)
• 1 brimmed hat
• 1 fleece
• 1 raincoat
• 1 stocking hat
• fleece gloves
  

OUTDOOR GEAR

• 1 pocket knife
• 1 first aid kit
• 1 stainless steel water bottle
• 1 headlamp (spare battery)
• 1 compass
• emergency blanket
• 1 canister bear spray
• trekking polls
• map
• small journal and pencil
• wallet-sized waterproof container (put in cash, credit card and photo ID)
• 1 roll duct tape
  

COOKING

• 1 camp stove
• gas for stove
• waterproof matches
• food (enough for trip, plus two emergency meals)
• water filter
• 1 heavy duty plastic spork
• snacks
• Gatorade powder
• 1 cooking pot
  

BED/SHELTER

• 1 tent (mine is REI quarter-dome three backpacking tent)
• 1 sleeping bag (temperature according to area)
• 1 sleeping pad (foam inside for insulation)
• 1 travel pillow

PERSONAL HYGIENE

• 1 tube toothpaste
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 roll toilet paper
• 1 stick deodorant
• 1 container dental floss
• 1 bottle fashwash
• hand sanitizer
  
• quick-dry towel
• 1 bottle sunscreen
• 1 bug spray
  

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 2

Welcome to the second preview of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers set off on our adventure later this week.

Until then, here's today's preview about how to obtain permits for the hike, as well as the campgrounds on the trail.

Wilderness Permits and Campgrounds

Wilderness permits are required for overnight camping year-round. These permits help to disperse traffic and keep track of users of the trail.

To obtain your permit, you must submit your application early. The first day the park starts accepting them is March 15 each year. However, the rangers don't begin processing permits until April 1. The way it works is all of the permits received between March 15 and April 1 are processed first, then the permits are gone through by date received after April 1.

For more information on how to apply for a permit visit the Mount Rainier National Park Wonderland Trail permit web site.

The Wonderland Trail has eighteen wilderness camps and three non-wilderness camps. Each campsite has designated tent sites, a vault toilet and water nearby (aka creek, river, stream).

The Mount Rainier National Park site lists each of the campsites and their elevation.

Hiking from Longmire in a clockwise direction, they are:

• Pyramid Creek- (no group site) 3,765 feet
• Devil's Dream- 5,060 feet
• South Puyallup River- 4,000 feet
• Klapatche Park- (no group site) 5,515 feet
• North Puyallup River- 3,750 feet
• Golden Lakes- 5,130 feet
• South Mowich River- 2,605 feet
• *Mowich Lake Campground- 4,929 feet
• Ipsut Creek Campground- 2,330 feet
• Carbon River- 3,195 feet
• Dick Creek- (no group site) 4,185 feet
• Mystic Camp- 5,570 feet
• Granite Creek- 5,765
• Sunrise Camp- 6,245
• *White River Campground- 4,280 feet
• Summerland- 5,940 feet
• Indian Bar- 5,120 feet
• Nickel Creek- 3,385 feet
• Maple Creek- 2,815 feet
• Paradise River- 3,805 feet
• *Cougar Rock Campground- 3,180 feet

* denotes non-wilderness campground

For the hike, we planned our route based on distance, as well as our own personal abilities in hiking. Since we are in hiking shape, this is how our trip itinerary turned out for campgrounds:

Day 1 - We'll leave the Mowich Lake Trailhead and set up camp at Carbon River Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 2- Carbon River Camp to Granite Creek Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 3- Granite Creek Camp to White River Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 4- White River Camp to Indian Bar Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 5- Indian Bar Camp to Maple Creek Camp. Distance- 13 miles.

Day 6- Maple Creek Camp to Pyramid Creek Camp. Distance- 14 miles.

Day 7- Pyramid Creek Camp to South Puyallup River Camp. Distance- 8 miles.

Day 8- South Puyallup River Camp to Golden Lakes Camp. Distance- 12 miles.

Day 9- Golden Lakes Camp to South Mowich River Camp. Distance- 7 miles

Day 10- South Mowich River Camp to Mowich Lake Trailheads. Distance- 3 miles

Total is 93 miles. Man am I excited.

Check back in tomorrow for another preview of the Wonderland Trail, with the gear to pack on the trip.

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 1

Thursday the Northern Rangers will set off on our great adventure of 2010, the Wonderland Trail.

Our trip will last from July 22 - August 1. Each day this week, I'll be previewing the Wonderland Trail in preparing the readers for our trip.

On Thursday we'll head up to Mowich Lake and camp. Getting up early on Friday we'll hit the trail.

(And you can bet that there will be some great Northern Rangers videos when we get back)

Enumclaw guide summits Mount Rainier 400 times

The Tacoma News Tribune ran a great article yesterday about Brent Okita.

Under clear, sedate skies, mountaineering guide Brent Okita ushered a party of five to the top of Mount Rainier on Thursday morning.

It was their first time reaching the summit. It was his 400th.

The 49-year-old from Enumclaw hit the peak about 6:30 a.m., becoming the third climber to summit Mount Rainier 400 times.

“I had a great group of climbers with me, great weather … all my dreams have come true,” said Okita, who has been a guide for Rainier Mountaineering Inc. since 1986. At first, he viewed the milestone as “just another number,” but the enthusiasm of co-workers, friends and strangers rubbed off on him.

Read the rest of the article on the Tacoma News Tribune site.

Issues facing National Parks

National Geographic had a great post about the top ten issues facing the National Parks.

Here's their list:

1. Untold Stories
2. Crumbling History
3. Wildlife Management
4. Foreign Invaders
5. Adjacent Development
6. Climate Change
7. Water Issues
8. Air Pollution
9. Transportation Problems
10. Visitor Experience

What do you think of their list? And the big question is, do you visit National Parks? If so, which ones?

I mainly visit Mount Rainier National Park. That's because it's close to my location and is an awesome location. I love that park and all that it has to offer. This summer the Northern Rangers will be backpacking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. Complete with videos and posts.

Wonderland Trail Permits

You might be wondering where in the world have the Northern Rangers been? Well, the truth is we've been hitting the gym and bicycling. But don't worry, we'll be hiking again soon.

Mainly to help get us prepared for the Wonderland Trail.


That's right, Jeff and I got our permits.

I am pretty excited as this is not the easiest permit to obtain. We planned our route and sent in the application on March 15. That is the first day you could send them in. The rangers started reviewing the applications and granting permits to hikers on April 1. The trail is red line in the picture above.

And I'm so happy that we got our permit.

Here's what our trip looks like:

July 22- Mowich Lake Camp
July 23- Carbon River Camp
July 24- Granite Creek Camp
July 25- White River Camp
July 26- Indian Bar Camp
July 27- Maple Creek Camp
July 28- Pyramid Creek Camp
July 29- So. Puyallup River Camp
July 30- Golden Lakes Camp
July 31- So. Mowich River Camp
Aug 1-Mowich Lake Trailhead and out of the wild.

Check out a profile map of the trial here.

The map shows all of the elevation gains along the trail. It certainly isn't flat. That's why we have been training.

Here's what Mount Rainier National Park says about the trail:

The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles (150kms) long and encircles Mt. Rainier. It is a strenuous hike with lots of elevation gain and loss, through lowland forests and valleys and into high alpine and sub-alpine areas.

Perhaps the biggest aspect in planning to hike the Wonderland Trail is you knowing your hiking skills, abilities and habits. Rangers cannot tell you that. Nobody knows your skill level better than you. This is important when laying the foundation for your trip... selecting the proper distance between campsites.

Do you live and hike primarily in mountainous terrain and climates, or lower elevation areas? Hiking on flat terrain for 93 miles is far easier than having to climb up three thousand feet with a full pack day, after day, after day. This sounds like something that should not have to be stated, but we often see hikers going beyond their skill level. This usually leads to injury, illness, misery and an early end to a long-planned trip.

Oh, and we'll be documenting our whole trip with videos. So keep watching for those.

Hopefully we'll have better weather than last year. Fingers crossed.

America's Best Adventures

National Geography Adventure ran a post featuring the best adventures in America.

It was a great list. But guess what. Three of these adventures were located in Washington state.

Here's the top five of the list:

1. Biking the Continental Divide Trail: Multistate
2. Kayaking Lake Yellowstone: Wyoming
3. Rowing Down the Grand Canyon: Arizona
4. Climbing Mount Rainier: Washington
5. Canoeing the Adirondacks: New York

The other two Washington adventures to make the list were:

17. Transect the Olympic
30. Hike Glacier Peak

You can view the full list, as well as an interactive map, over at National Geographic Adventures.

Outdoor Photo of the Week: Mount Rainier alpenglow

This week our Outdoor Photo of the Week is from Scott Harder, Mill Creek, Washington.

The location of this photo is just West of Mount Rainier at 9,800 feet.

Taken as the sunset as it cast “alpenglow” on the westside of Mount Rainier from a helicopter at almost 10k feet. Lenticular clouds had just started to form on the top.

You can view more of Scott's work at Mill Creek Multimedia.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just Northwest? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Outdoor Photo of the Week: Mount Rainier from Tacoma

This week our Outdoor Photo of the Week is from Tai Nguyen.

This photo is taken from atop an apartment building in downtown Tacoma. It gives a small glimpse of Tacoma with the backside of the convention center, the bridge and the Tacoma Dome. This picture was taken on Sunday, February 21st.

You can view more of Tai's work at www.tywynn.com.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just Northwest? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Poo Poo Point: South view

Today the Northern Rangers headed out for a hike on Poo Poo Point again. We showed you the views from the North, now here's what the views from the South are:

Ted Evans Photography

Normally we wait till Sunday for an Outdoor Photo of the Week. But over on Just South of North we feature a Northwest Photographer of the Week. This week we featured Ted Evans of Seattle. And frankly I liked his pictures so much I just had to share them with you here on Just Northwest.

We'll still have an Outdoor Photo of the Week on Sunday. But for now, please enjoy these images from Mt. Rainer.

The last one is of Ted Evans himself, obviously, he's got a bit of snow on himself. That happens when you hike up mountains. Here's what he sent us.

My name is Ted Evans and have lived in Seattle for 4 years and cant get enough of what the area has to offer. Adventure is awaiting behind every corner out here and I feel people dont take advantage enough! I have recently been laid off which has allowed to to get out and play and really make a push on photography. I bring my camera everywhere. I put a photo site together with my girlfriend, so please check out our pictures. Most were taken last week up at Rainier.

You can check out his photography site at http://www.birchhillstudio.com/.

And click on the photos to make them larger.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just Northwest? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Outdoor Photo of the Week: Around Mount Rainier

Nothing says the Northwest like Mount Rainier. This week we are featuring three Outdoor Photo of the Weeks because honestly, I couldn't pick just one.







These photos were taken by Zach Barner of Auburn, WA. Here's what he had to say about the photos:

The first photo was taken in the mountains on the other side of Chinook Pass near Yakima.

The second and third photos are of Mt. Rainier taken from Evans Creek Off Road Vehicle area outside of Wilkeson, WA.

You can check out more of Zach's great outdoor photos on his Photobucket account.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just Northwest? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Everest: Beyond the Limit

In April I wrote a post about Washingtonians that were going to attempt to summit Mount Everest and that the Discovery Channel would be documenting their climb.

International Mountain Guides, based out of Ashford, Washington will be the focus of the 5 episode series called Everest: Beyond the Limit. This will be the third season of the show for Discovery.

The series will run from December 27 to December 30. Here's the complete schedule on the Discovery Channel. But it all starts on the 27th with these showtimes:

• Dec. 27, 8:00 PM - Episode 1: First Summit

• Dec. 27, 9:00 PM -Episode 2: Impossible Dream

• Dec. 27, 10:00 PM - Episode 3: Deadly Countdown

International Mountain Guides’s 2009 expedition put 30 climbers on the summit of Mount Everest. Oh, and also the film crew from the Discovery Channel.

Since 1991, International Mountain Guides has led 209 climbers up Mount Everest.