Crow In A Crannied Nook

Day 188: This shot could just have easily been titled "How I Spent My Lunch Break," i.e., taking a quick trot up Rampart Ridge, an elevation gain of 1200' over 1.7 miles. I ran into snow a few switchbacks above the spot where this photo was taken, but the trail was easy to discern. Pausing briefly at the viewpoint which overlooks Longmire, I then continued on to the top where, on a less cloudy day, a spectacular view of Mount Rainier waits for people who step through a narrow band of trees and onto an outcrop. Today, only a thin slice of the lower Mountain was in evidence. With lead-colored clouds moving in and my office work waiting, I retraced my steps instead of following the ridge to complete the 4.7 mile loop trip, and it was a good thing I did. Only one raindrop touched my face on the hike, but within minutes of the time I got back to the Administration Building, the truth of the weather forecast became "precipitously" evident.