I have an a$$ on my bruise...

Heh heh. Well, more of the other way around! And I don't bruise easily at all. :P

Mt. Rainier was AMAZING, and this time around it was definitely up there on the difficulty scale, despite this being year 3. The snow wasn't at the start of the hike like last year (it was right next to the Paradise Visitor Center), but waaaay up by Pebble Creek. I think that the lack of snow made the temperature feel even worse. Blech! Also, the biting bugs were out in full force and Trav and I have some battle wounds to prove it. Sneaky little buggers. We got up to Muir at around 3pm, which was right on par with our goal. It's strange to have the temperature change so much in a short time span! Sliding down the snow field caused my lovely butt bruise (see my awesome garbage bag shorts? yeah, they are new from the MC Hammer line).

Travis and I an hour into the hike


Looking down the snowfield from a pit-stop.


Trav and I at Camp Muir (2nd time!)


The view from Muir (see the little speck people?)


Coming back down the mountain. :)

We ended up coming back to the car around 6pm. On our way down the road to the car, though, Matt and I ran into two men in their 50's drinking some beers in the back of their pickup truck. We said "Oh man, that looks NICE!" and they gave us both a beer (good beer too!). They said they were from Maine and that they had just hiked to Muir too. We chatted with them for a little bit and finished our cold beers (oh my, I'm not a big beer drinker...but that HIT the spot, I say!). It was a cool little ending to our day.

Then it was off to the Railroad Car Restaurant in Elbe for some greasy burgers/chicken and homemade fries...it was fun! Unfortunately on our way back through Orting the power was out for some reason...but the road ended up being closed (I think some idiot ran into a telephone pole), so that detour cost some time. AND, then Jeff and I were pulled over in Jeff's black (ninja) loud Mustang...and was written a ridiculous ticket for something he totally didn't do. :( It was a major bummer and Jeff was wicked upset the rest of the way back to our meeting point.

All in all, Trav and I got home at around 10:30pm and pretty much crashed into bed. SO tired, but it is SO worth it. ;)

See more pictures on my Flickr page