Amazing day, home now. Very tired, but extremely happy.

Spent the day scrambling around the NW bottom of Mt Rainier, with matociquala  and medievalist.

Every year people get themselves turned around and lost up there, when sudden weather cooks itself up then rolls down the mountain on top of hapless day hikers. So anyone who hikes very often learns to plan for "if one of us busts an ankle and the weather goes to shit, then we'll..." Which means you carry stuff like first aid kits, sunscreen, insect repellent, flashlights, materials to start fires even in heavy rain (road flares work beautifully) and extra water.  Then you don't use any of it, but that's good -- because if you'd had to use it, you'd have been "those hikers who got caught up on Rainier" instead of "those dipshits who got themselves stuck up on the mountain..." when your misadventure is on the local news, later.  Heh.

Unfortunately, I put no such elaborate thought and preparation into making any after-hike plans.  Oops.  We found a teriyaki place that wasn't too dire, though.  I always want Teriyaki to be better than it inevitably is. Ah, well. *G*

Our original plans to hike the Tolmie Peak Trail were thwarted by a road washout. We hiked most of the Green Lake trail, instead -- but got to hike three miles in from the Ranger Station to get to the trailhead, which made it into an extremely pleasant day hike in most excellent company. Also, it made conversation much easier than the straight-up-the-mountain  wheezing and grunting that might otherwise have interfered with both my ability to hear, and my ability to answer.

It's an amazing mountain.

Here, look: