Mountain Drama

Day 90: There is more drama than that of politics associated with Mount Rainier today, beautiful in nature, if perhaps somewhat foreboding. Clouds mount a nebulous assault from the north, lifting over the summit in ragged lenticular formation, fighting vainly against an unseasonably warm upslope wind. The Mountain makes its own weather, according to its mood; dangerous at times, kindly at others, but never without an undercurrent which warns that changes may come on a whim, with little to announce their imminent arrival. Experienced climbers know this; the foolish ones trust to luck. Most of us, regardless of our camp, survive more or less intact, living out our days in the foothills when our bodies cannot meet the demands of the sport. That said, our hearts are on the Mountain, even in bad weather. Don't let the allegory bite you on the bum.