Burroughs Mountain!!
(The Drive-In)
(Alpine Tundra dejour!)
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October 8, 2000
Burroughs Mountain is one of the many trails accessible form the Sunrise Visitors Center at Mount Rainier. We finally managed to do this hike one week before they close the gate for the season. We got there early in the morning and ascended through low fog to get to it. We even got there early enough in the morning for me to see an actual Raven in the parking lot! (No, not Ray Lewis) Score!
This sign is not kidding. It really is a different world here. There is normally so much snow here that it is only exposed to the sun for a few weeks before it gets covered in a white blanket again. All my hikes thus far have had scenery with trees and green or colorful meadows, rocks, craggy peaks, or glacier covered peaks. This was a treat. These meadows don't grow, and yet they are older than you! In 10 years, they probably grow about as much as your lawn does in 1 sunny day. So, needless to say, DON'T GO OFF THE TRAIL!
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So
anyway, you start the trail out at the visitors center.
And since you are just a short bit away from the actual
massive Volcano, you get a view even before you get out
of the car. Hell, you get a view before you get to the parking lot! |
The saddest part of all this is since it was so long ago, I can't really give a good narration to this hike. But, my words don't do it justice anyway.
This is what I am talking about! Look at this! Can you tell that this place is covered with snow almost year round?
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you come to the place we have called "The Drive-In". Why do we call it that? Well, first there is this view to the left.... |
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And
then there is this little bench that was constructed here.... I tried to think of why they built it, but all I can think of is that they built it specifically for the purpose of sitting here and gazing in awe of The Mountain.... And there are other reasons. But I'm not saying it here! I'd get in trouble with Mr. Ranger! But we did screw around with our food. Check out these pointless pictures of what we did.
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The trail continues on past this point, but we left. Goober-Girl wanted to drive around the National Park, and I wanted to see some football, so we left. But this is where the trail continues.
We left and met a cute little critter on the way down.
Burroughs was a good hike, and it is in one of those areas where you can just go and get lost for weeks exploring all the trails. Maybe one day I'll do that.
After we left, we drove around the park. Sunny had to see some waterfalls, so go to www.drizzle.com/~sunnym to see them. But I did want to share with you an interesting perspective. The bridge that goes over Nisqually. We went there on March 26 of last year, and we really liked this picture. But us stupid goobers that this was part of the glacier.
We were wrong. Check this out!
Anyway, Here's one of my favorite mountain ranges. Tatoosh!
The thing about Burroughs is that it doesn't change that much when you go back. There's no trees to watch grow, no berries to wait for, and The Mountain doesn't change that much. But, it is such a nice hike that you go back anyway. I did this one solo, as Sunny was off somewhere doing something. Camping or something. I don't remember. I just got back from my roadtrip and visit with Sheila, so I needed to get out. We had another Rainier hike on our list for the year, so I figured that Burroughs would be a good bet.
If you have flown into Seattle and have seen Mt. Rainier from the left side of the plane, you have seen the series of 3 brown plateaus right in front of the Mountain. That's Burroughs, and you can't miss it. Want to know why it is brown? It's not because of vegetation, it is small chunks of pumice. It looks like dogfood.
Well, it was a warm sunny day and I was a bit of a goober, and the hike was more difficult than I remembered it. I went well past our stopping point last year over to the Third Burroughs. Well, most of the way. I was tired, and actually the trail took you further away from the Mountain, so I stopped.
| When I started the hike, it was a nice sunny day. | When I finished, The Mountain had created it's own weather . |
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The way back was cluttered with humans. Ignorant stupid humans. Most of them were not regular hiker types, but the 'get-out-of-the-car and pretend-to-be-a-hiker' touristy family types with cans of Coke and tennis shoes as hiking gear. The same people who don't know that you DON'T STEP ON THE FUCKING MEADOW, uphill hikers have right-of-way, and that it is not considerate to yell at your hiking partners 100 yards up the trail. The parking lot at Sunrise was overflowing onto the road, and I was glad to get out of there. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind tourists and novices hiking, I just wish there were better ways to make them be aware of their impact on the landscape and the other people using the trail. Signs don't work. Pamphlets don't work. I don't know what will. Maybe snipers? No, not to kill them, and not even to use bullets. How about a paintball gun filled with water pellets? Or rocks? It will hurt them, but not leave any mark on the terrain. "Leave no Trace" also means "Leave no Bloodstains". :) |
Anyway, the hike up was tiring but nice, even though the hike down made me want to yell at stupid people. One nice this was that there was a herd of mountain goats grazing on First Burroughs. There wasn't a good spot to take a picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it.
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