Pacific Northwest Backroad Adventures

Mt. Rainier captured during an early fall sunrise just after the first snow near Sunrise.

You can read about this trip at Sunrise at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.

Last Saturday (September 29, 2007), we decided a make a predawn trip to Sunrise at Mt Rainier National Park in Washington state to take photos of the rising sun on the mountain.

We were experiencing rain showers when we left our home in the early morning. Luckily for us, the higher in elevation we gained, the clearer the weather became.

Once we entered the national park and passed the White River Ranger station, we started to see patches of snow on the road. Once we arrived in the Sunrise parking lot, it was blanketed with several inches of the seasons’ first snow fall. We could clearly see the outline of Mt Rainier through the darkness.

From the main visitors center, we climbed the ridge and followed it toward Mt. Rainier to the Frozen Lake viewpoint, taking photos along the way.

On our way back to the parking lot, the clouds started rolling in and by the time we got back to the visitors center, the mountain was completely obscured by clouds.

All summer long, I had wanted to get up in the early morning hours and make the trip to Sunrise in order to take photos of the sun rising on Mt. Rainier. The wait for this experience was worth it, with excellent lighting, the first snow of the season and clear weather.

You can view the photos taken on this trip at Mt Rainier National Park 09.29.2007.

All indicators are pointing to yes. Its rare that we get so much snow so soon in the mountains. Unfortunately, one “pineapple express” could wipe out the snow and once again bring green to the alpine areas.

Last weekend, we made a trip to Sunrise in Mt. Rainier National Park for a pre-dawn hike for a photo shoot and there was a nice dusting of snow at the Sunrise parking area and several inches of snow at the Frozen lake viewpoint. Since then, 7 inches of snow has fallen at Sunrise and the same at Paradise.