Six Views of Mount Rainier
July 17, 2013
This post calls to mind Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, his series of woodblock prints. Mount Rainier has a similar pull on artists. For example, Tacoma woodblock artist, Chandler O’Leary, created her own limited edition fine art book with views of Mount Rainier — it’s called Local Conditions.
On a recent clear summer day, I took my niece on a drive to Mount Rainier. The air was calm and clear, so our views of Mount Rainier were spectacular. We enjoyed the golden glow of the peak at sunrise at Sunrise, distant views from the road, reflected views in Tipsoo Lake, and a high view from the Summit House Restaurant at Crystal Mountain Resort (accessible by gondola ride). I had also just seen a high altitude view from my airplane window when I was returning from Minnesota. Let me share these views of Mount Rainier here:
“The mountains are playing at standing on their heads, and their reflections are even lovelier than the reality. The water’s depth and mystery impart vibrancy to the images, and the trembling of the surface conjures visions at the edge of a dream.”
— Sylvain Tesson, The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin on the Siberian Taiga, translated from the French by Linda Coverdale
Hiking in France 1: On the Trail of Andy Goldsworthy
May 26, 2013
I signed up for this guided hike for the chance to see Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptures, but I was blown away by the spectacular scenery. On Day 1, we hiked from the village of Courbons to Thoard. Our destination was the tiny Chapelle Saint Madeleine, perched near the summit of a hill/mountain, which featured a wall sculpture by Goldsworthy.
The marked trail took us up over the hilltops and gave us awesome views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It continued through a forest of beech trees; the fallen beech leaves provided a soft, but slippery, cushion of padding on the path. I was challenged to keep up with the group, all experienced and hearty hikers, but I was exhilarated at the same time to be in France, on this hike — a dream coming true.
Near the end of the day’s hike, we approached the tiny Chapelle Saint Madeleine via a gravel road that passed lavender fields. The chapel, like many of the buildings in this area, had a tile roof of the most pleasing orangy colors. The tiles were held down with stones. Inside, on the wall where the altar would have been, was a recessed elliptical-shaped space large enough to stand in. Goldsworthy intended this as an introspective space, a contrast to the vast expanse of the vista looking down into the valley just outside the door.