Aerial view flying into Seattle

Rainier looming over Tacoma

Alpenglow, lenticular clouds, and high winds over Rainier

Driving to the mountain on a clear day

Starting out at Paradise trailhead on day one carrying 55 pounds

Receiving encouragement from day hikers on the lower trail

First big view of the Nisqually Glacier and Rainier's overwhelming size

Reaching the snowfield and changing out our light hikers for double plastics

Slogging up the Muir snowfield

Camp Muir and the upper mountain comes into view

Closing in on Camp Muir with a view of the Disappointment Cleaver far in the distance

Camp Muir at 10,000 ft. and site of camp one

Thirteen time record holding Mt. Everest summiter Dave Hahn discussing strategy with other climbers

Mess tent at camp one

Dinner with climber Mike Nancarrow, and guides Craig Van Hoy, Michael Horst, and Suzanne Allen

Breakfast with climber Henrik Olsen and guide Matt Hegeman before more training on day two

Moving across the Cowlitz glacier, (the bowling alley) on our way to camp two

Craig and Henrik bringing up the rear and following me on team two up thru Cathedral Gap.
The Disappointment Cleaver and the upper mountain comes into view

The Ingraham glacier and icefall and site of camp two

Rolling into camp two

Little Tahoma peak from camp two

The icefall from camp two

A rare and beautiful clear day on Rainier

The guides discussing the upper mountain conditions and tonight's summit attempt

Little Tahoma from the tent

Getting some rest before the summit push later tonight

Evening storm rolling in

Just a few hours to departure

Wake up call at 9:00 p.m. to climb at night when the mountain is frozen and safer

Breakfast at 9:15 p.m. in the snow cave in between good company,
Everest climbers Craig Van Hoy and Michael Horst

Team three waiting our turn to traverse under a rock and icefall area at midnight

In the summit crater at 4:15 a.m.

Sun rising in the east from Columbia Crest, the highest point on Mt. Rainier

Myself with climbers Mike Nancarrow and Henrik Olsen on the summit

Summit Mt. Rainier 14,411 ft. Washington state high point

The quarter mile wide summit crater from Columbia Crest

Volcanic steam rising from the crater,a sign that someday in the future the volcano will erupt

Starting down before the mountain warms up, 9,300 ft to go down today

First body fuel break on the descent

Traversing around the crevasses on the descent

Deep crevasses on the upper mountain

Views that we did not see in the dark, just hours ago

This is as good as it gets, never feeling more alive and aware

On the fixed lines going thru some crevasses

Little Tahoma and starting to really feel the effects of fatigue

Gilbralter Rock

Craig instructing us on the importance of keen awareness at the top of the Disappointment Cleaver.
Bad things seem to always happen here

Returning to high camp and packing up for the descent back to Paradise

An exhausted team heading back to Seattle with only three hours of sleep in three days