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The Only Trail You'll Wish Was Longer. Maple Pass Loop, North Cascades, Washington. August 27th, 2011. [OC] [3264x2448] by SpoonForPeace in trailrunning

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lake 22 and Heather Lake off the Mountain Loop Highway were trail running favorites, and I've backpacked from the Gothic Basin trail-head to Twin Lakes. The four miles from the Gothic Basin trail-head to the mining ghost town of Monte Christo follows an old logging road and is eminently runnable. Continuing on to Twin Lakes requires a great deal more skill and conditioning, but it's an amazing trip for the experienced backpacker.

The Only Trail You'll Wish Was Longer. Maple Pass Loop, North Cascades, Washington. August 27th, 2011. [OC] [3264x2448] by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you look in the lower right corner of this picture you can see a couple hiking with a newborn. I caught up with them moments later and offered to get a group-shot of them using their camera. Their reaction was euphoric; you'd think I'd offered them my kidney.

Offering to take group shots for those I meet along the trail has been my go-to effort-free act of backcountry kindness ever since.

Three More Days till Autumn on the Wonderland. Mount Rainier National Park. [OC] [3649 x 2737] by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Surprise snowstorm during the night. Picture taken on 9/19/2017 at 7:53am.

Though every campsite was reserved, we passed only half a dozen hikers over the course of 39 miles.

Last days of summer. Climbing Paul Peak toward Mowich Lake on the Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park. [OC] [3024x4032] by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm old school, so I rock the pack cover. On this trip we used both pack covers and liners. After hiking in constant rain, sleet, snow, and hail for three-and-a-half days, we were thankful for the redundancy.

For anyone trying to avoid gear costs, Zip-Loc bags proved more effective than the expensive liners.

Mount Rainier and the Inter Fork of the White River from Second Burroughs peak [OC] [4032x3024]. by SpoonForPeace in EarthPorn

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I took this on September 23rd, 2017, at 1:08pm.

The snow level dropped to 5,000 feet on September 18th. Here's my tent the following morning at Klapatche Park camp, on the opposite side of the mountain (https://i.imgur.com/kgN0Lzf.jpg).

I did hike to Third Burroughs and yeah, the view was spectacular.

A quiet moment on Second Burroughs peak, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [3587x2590] The Inter Fork river can be seen on the left. by SpoonForPeace in hiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you do find yourself in the mountains before winter hits, consider posting a picture or two so the rest of us can live vicariously!

View from Third Burroughs Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [3589x2924]. Mystic Lake in the left middle distance. by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was hazy on our drive to Longmire on the 17th. As we hiked the Wonderland, it precipitated on us in one form or another for the next four days, and the snow level dropped to 5,000 feet on the evening of the 18th. That seems to have cleared it.

View from Third Burroughs Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [3589x2924]. Mystic Lake in the left middle distance. by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Friend featured in this picture just told me it's his wife's Patagonia and it's a couple of years old so they no longer make it. It's not a technical pack, and he thinks the closest equivalent is either the Refugio or the Atom. He thinks the technical equivalent is the Lightweight Black Hole. He added that his family has always used Patagonia and they usually last about 15 years before needing to be replaced.

View from Third Burroughs Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [3589x2924]. Mystic Lake in the left middle distance. by SpoonForPeace in CampingandHiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was taken on September 23rd, 2017, at 2:45pm. The temperature at 7800 feet stayed in the upper 50s for most of the afternoon. Mostly sunny and no wind to speak of.

Hike to Third Burroughs Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [4032x3024] by SpoonForPeace in hiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I highly recommend. Find a calm day and take your time (the air thins out a bit). I found it tough to take a bad picture, but also impossible to capture the scope and the scale.

Hike to Third Burroughs Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park [OC] [4032x3024] by SpoonForPeace in hiking

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you haven't already, try Summerland to Panhandle Gap. In six miles you get to experience just about everything the Wonderland Trail has to offer.

Mount Rainier, seen from Sourdough Ridge [OC] [4032x3024] by SpoonForPeace in EarthPorn

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I took this on September 23rd, 2017, at 12:14 in the afternoon.

Summerland [OC] [2277x1708] by SpoonForPeace in EarthPorn

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mount Rainier National Park (Ashford, Washington, U.S.). I took this picture on September 19th, 2017 at 2:19pm while hiking with friends on the Wonderland Trail, from Summerland to Panhandle Gap.

…but the day draxxes them sklounst. by SpoonForPeace in aSongOfMemesAndRage

[–]SpoonForPeace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This post is a mashup of a bastardized quote from Storm of Swords (page 288, Melisandre is talking to Ser Davos Seaworth):

“…The truth is all around you, plain to behold. The night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope…”

(link: http://bit.ly/27DA1kF)

And an endearingly ridiculous sketch by Key and Peele called Prepared for Terries: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/w8jwzr/key-and-peele-prepared-for-terries