” . . . the public land endowment of the United States is one of the greatest perks of this democracy. Rich or poor, every citizen of the United States of America has title to an area almost the size of Italy.”
— Timothy Egan, “The Geography of Nope,” The New York Times online Opinionator blog, September 27, 2012
Cascade peaks blanketed in clouds as the sun rises on Saturday morning
Every year in late September the country celebrates National Public Lands Day by offering free entrance to the national parks. When possible, I try to take advantage of the free admission because I am frugal, and the regular cost of entry makes visiting a rare treat for me. You may recall that two years ago, my husband and I took a road trip to Glacier National Park in Montana on National Public Lands Day. (You can revisit those blog posts here and here and here.)
Timothy Egan, a writer whose blog I follow regularly, reminds us that our national lands are under threat by politicians, generally Republicans, who want to mine this shared inheritance for its resources and material riches. The full article can be found at this link. I support keeping our national parks and national lands for the general public to enjoy. They are a rare and awesome treasure and shouldn’t be plundered. I think a worthy goal would be to visit every national park before I die.
This past Saturday I got up very early and drove in the dark so that I could be at Sunrise on Mount Rainier in time to watch the actual sunrise at 7:07 a.m. I had to use my windshield wipers to clear a misting rain on my way there, and I was worried that the clouds might hide the rising sun. I arrived at Sunrise shortly after 6:00 a.m. and waited. As dawn approached, I could see Cascade peaks blanketed in clouds all around me. Mount Rainier itself played peek-a-boo with the clouds, revealing its snow-capped peaks and glaciers in fits and starts. It was quite a show. Here are some photos:
Driving to Sunrise on Mount Rainier in the dark. I saw the moon set and then waited for the sunrise.
The lightening horizon illuminates the cloudy Cascade range.
The clouds were generally thick and gray, but there were a few moments of glowing color.
Mount Rainier peeks through clouds, viewed from the parking lot at Sunrise Point.
A handful of spectators watching the sun rise at Sunrise Point.
Tree line on a distant peak, with clouds
Snowfields on Mount Rainier
View from the final approach to Sunrise on Mount Rainier
Paintbrush along the road
Mount Rainier in the early morning light as I was about to depart
Elk at the edge of the road down from Sunrise on Mount Rainier
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