Mount Rainier National Park (WA)

A week’s vacation in mid-September took me back to the Other-Other Washington to work on the house in Bellingham and enjoy some trail time in the Cascades. When I pulled out of the Seatac Airport in my rental car, I’d intended to head straight for B’ham. But there was Mount Rainier, rising to a drum roll in bright sunshine half way to the lunar orbit. I was not on any set schedule, so I decided right there that I was goin’ to the mountain for a hike. A found what looked like a good day trip on my smartphone, promising alpine views and not horribly far out of my way. I could still make it to B-ham that night.

I made a beeline for Mowich Lake and hiked the trail to Eunice Lake and the Tolmie Peak Lookout. When I got to the old fire lookout tower, others were staring intently toward a green meadow far below—a black bear was waddling through feeding on berries. As I watched the furry guy/gal stuff him/herself, a marten, of all things, ran out of the bushes not ten feet from my feet, scurried across the trail and disappeared in the brush on the other side. It was only the second time I’d ever seen one of these critters, after decades of hiking and climbing in the Cascades. The bugless breeze made it tough to get off my haunches and say goodbye to Mr. Bear. The descent was also a breeze and good times were had by all.