Rainier

 

 

Jared reached the top of Mount Adams. It took the crew 6 1/2 hours to complete the trail one way. It a steep elevation gain at about a 6000 feet and the mountain 12000 ft.

Jared hiking up Mt. Adams. He looks really pleased, doesn't he.

Jeff went to Mount Adams with Tracy and Jared (Americorps wierdos). That's Mt. Rainier in the background. Posted by Picasa

After a very long day in the Crater Lake sun, Jeff and I veg out in our tent for about 10 hours. We then headed to Oregon Caves National Monument on Sunday.

Jeff is swimming in the wonderfully refreshing caldera water. It took me a while but I eventually jumped in. You can see straight to the bottom and there are only rainbow trout there.

Jeff is striking a pose at Crater Lake. This is our first view. We can see the Cascade Range entirely encircling us.

Here I am basking in the rare Oregon Sun at Crater Lake National Park. This place is really beautiful. The water is crystal clear.

Beautiful View

Wizard island is a small island volcano w/in the larger crater of this huge caldera. Crater Lake caldera formed by collapse during the catastrophic eruption The 8x10 kilometer caldera lies in the remains of Mount Mazama, a Pleistocene stratovolcano cluster covering 400 square kilometers in the southern Oregon Cascades. Prior to its climactic eruption, Mount Mazama's summit had an elevation between 10,800 - 12,000 feet. -- Bacon, 1990, IN: Wood and Kienle

Final view of Mt. Rainier

Me not wanting to cross this "bridge". 

You can barely see the bear but we saw it from much closer. By the time the camera was out she was headed toward the mountain. She had two cubs with her. I was totally freaked out and shaking but it was awesome. 

Golden-mantel ground squirrel 

Day 4 Camp at Yellowstone cliffs. We had to set up immediately as the mosquitoes were eating me up.  

One of our first views of Yellowstone Cliffs. This was really gorgeous and different from what we had previously seen. I think we saw elk on the mountain but we were too far away to tell.  

Windy Gap. Our highest altitude and Day 4. 

Another land bridge pic 

Jeff is on a natural land bridge though you can't really tell. Behind him is James lake which we had just hiked from.