The crater on Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania, Africa) is very different from Mt. Rainier. Whereas Mt. Rainier is a large, ice-filled bowl, Kilimanjaro is more like a plateau. (There’s a photo of the Rainier crater in my previous post.) Many experts believe that at the rate of current snow melt the glacier on Kili will be gone in 20 years. (The route to the summit is directly behind the tents in the photo above and less than a thousand vertical feet.) 
In an earlier post I mentioned that members of the Cascade Crawlers did an up-and-over of Mt. Rainier in 2004, with a night in the crater. There was interest in seeing what the crater looks like. 
This first photo shows ice and snow fractures on the way to the Ingraham Flats, which is at 11,100′. These fissures can be daunting as you pass by them and realize they can be hundreds of feet deep.
The next is a straighten-on shot of the summit crater taken from the true summit (14,411′). The crater is a large bowl. You can see our tents in the distance. Both of these photos were taken by my friend Mark, who was a member of our party.
The Big Muddy River turned us back so we didn’t make it all the way around Mt. Adams. This river is fed by glacial runoff, which was extra heavy this year. This photo shows you the overall beauty of Adams. If you want to see other photos from this beautiful area and our hike, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/dalmat1385/MtAdamsCircumnavigation200702. The Crawlers are a stubborn bunch. Plans are already underway to return next year to do a route that climbs higher on the mountain, runs across the bottom of the glacier and then drops back down to a trail. We had fantastic weather and a wonderful time. I think you’ll see what I mean in these photos.
I leave for my circumnav of Mt. Adams tomorrow. Thought I’d leave you with a photo from Mt. St. Helens taken earlier this year. This dune-shaped snowfield leads directly up to the rim of the volcano crater.
I like the social aspects of fitness. I can run long distances by myself (well, with an iPod and my trusty Border Collie Barclay). When it comes to hiking (and cycling), I like companionship…bantering with others, the exchange of ideas, and extra sets of eyes to point out interesting sites. A few years ago, a group of my friends started to hike and climb together. Our most ambitious feat was going up and over Mt. Rainier, with a night in the crater. Eventually we decided that a name for the group was in order. The Cascade Crawlers was born. We tip the age scale at 60+. Hence, the slogan “extreme sports, extremely slow”. Or I suppose we could have said: “Rock on, old gomers!” 
Next week, 7 of my friends and I will spend 4 or 5 days circling Mt. Adams, which is in southern Washington state, just across the Columbia River from Oregon. Like other Washington volcanoes, it’s covered with beautiful icy glaciers, that pour down from its 12,276′ summit. From sea level Mt. Adams looks like a smaller version of Mt. Rainier, which stands at 14,411′; from a distance both resemble a bowl tipped upside down, with milk running down their sides. Our hike will take us entirely around the mountain (about 35 miles) at the 7,000′ level. We’ll climb about 8,500′ in total. In case you wonder why I will be subjecting myself to carrying 50 pounds on my back, up and down hill and dale for several days, sleeping in a tent, and eating freeze-dried food, look again at the photo above. This shot was taken from the Ridge of Wonders on the east side of the mountain, first thing in the morning in early August of last year. It certainly gave us the feeling of being “up close and personal” with this grand massif. I could go on forever about Adams and our trip but will stop here, for now.
I love endurance events — and have participated in them actively for 40 years. Over the past few years I’ve concentrated on hiking, climbing and snowshoeing, while using running, cycling and weight training for preparation. These outings fit my life style, in part because I have a 4-year-old Border Collie, who needs (no demands) lots of exercise, and I can dabble in photography.
Fortunately I live in the Seattle area where access to mountains is easy. From my home I can be to hundreds of trailheads in less than an hour. Yesterday was typical. I met two friends and we headed east on I-90 to do a point-to-point, 11-mile hike. Within 30 minutes we were turning into the parking lot in North Bend, WA, where we would leave one car. In another 5 minutes we were parked and getting ready to head up to Rattlesnake Ledge.
This was the first time any of us had done more than the first 1.2-mile section to the Ledge, which takes you up an easy 1,100 vertical feet, through a deep, fern-filled forest. Beyond that you head up a steep but excellently maintained trail for another 1,800 vertical, reaching a lookout spot where we lunched while looking down into North Bend and across at the stately Mt. Si. The next 6 miles on to the car were almost effortless as we wound our way down this lush Cascade foothill. “No big rocks or fallen trees on the trail for the boys today but rather a walk in the park!” Along the way we picked sweet, oozy salmon berries that kept our spirits ebullient and blood sugar high.
What amazes me is the endless surprises that you encounter on hikes. Wild flowers are still out, only slightly beyond their peak. The three dogs, two of whom are 10 years old, were on their best behavior, greeting other hikers enthusiastically as we strode along. All in all this hike was one of those big surprises that caught us off guard because we would never have expected such a spectacular experience.
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