Mt. Freemont Lookout, Mt Rainier NP July 21, 2009

So there I was contemplating doing homework and an idea pops in my head that I need to go hiking. With some enabling from Dicentra on Facebook, who was behind a desk working... I made it out the door and headed to Sunrise at Mt. Rainier. If you have never been to Sunrise, you are really missing out. It's the highest paved road in Washington State! The Road tops out at about 6400' where there is a mini restaurant, a gift shop and a lodge, did I mention you essentially are parked below a huge meadow with a great view towards the Emmons Glacier? From the parking lot there are some easy to moderate short hiking trails all the way up to accessing the Wonderland trail which encircles Mt. Rainier. This particular day I decided to take a walk up to the Mt. Fremont Lookout. The route I took was approximately 5.78 miles give or take a little bit. It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes round trip, 1 hour and 7 minutes to reach the summit, 15 minutes at the summit and 58 minutes to get back to the bike from the summit.

Sunrise! How I love Sunrise!






Here's the map


The approximate elevation profile of my route. Overall there was about 1400' of elevation gain and 1400' of elevation loss.


My route took me up from sunrise to Sourdough Ridge where I tried to get some stick pic shots of me with Mt. Rainier in the background, but the sun was being cruel and overexposing the shots. It's amazing how much easier that short climb is this year after being more active this spring than I was last spring after my appendix blew out.

On the way to the ridge.





Views from Sourdough Ridge between the jct to Sunrise and Frozen Lake.








The trail along Sourdough Ridge.




Views towards Burroughs Mountain and Rainier.


Looking down over Sunrise Lake area and a portion of the Wonderland Trail.


Looking back at the trail across Sourdough Ridge.


Frozen Lake, which is the water supply for Sunrise.




Looking towards 2nd and 3rd Burroughs and across the flats towards Berkley park from the Mt. Fremont jct off of the Wonderland Trail.


Starting to climb towards the Fremont Lookout.


Ridge line views!


The lookout is just barely visible on the left hump.


Look at all the exposure!




The lookout with Grand Park in the background! Grand Park is a 3 mile long meadow and is very wide. It's the largest flat area in the Mt. Rainier National Park.






Looking back down the trail I came from.


The wind was kicking and the Skeeters biting like crazy...




Today I was powered by gummy bears, sour patch watermelons and Gatorade. Very non-nutritious, but it worked for a couple hours.


On the way down.


Looking out over Berkley Park.


Looking back down at Frozen Lake.


The first of 2 snow crossing on the lower trail on the way back to the bike.


On the lower trail on the way back to the bike.














Looking up at Sourdough ridge.


The Sunrise Lodge from the lower trail.


The bike next to the Gift shop/Restaurant/Ranger Station.


Overall it was a great trip and I am very glad that an enabler from behind her desk pushed me out the door.