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Got together with Jamey Pyles to make a run on Rainier since the flowers are starting to pop off pretty good now. Weather started out pretty grim looking, clouds across the whole sky but the forecast insisted that it would largely burn off by the evening. Considering my near-perfect track record of getting skunked, I wasn't about to get my hopes up.
So we started slogging up to Indian Henry's Mosquito Breeding Grounds and quickly ran into a washed-out trail that necessitated a way-more-effort-than-should-be-necessary detour up and around the bank, only to later find out that there was an easier way around by gingerly fording part of Tahoma Creek and then using some logs to get across the rest of the stream (basically a small river).
Going further up, the clouds started to tease at thinning and clearing out, so after briefly discussing bailing on the hike we opted to keep on keeping on. So we get up to the meadows, which are starting to flower quite nicely but are still at least a week (probably 2) away from peak, and introduced ourselves to the attendees of the bug convention being held literally everywhere - some of the worst mozzies I've ever seen, so profuse that I had to actually clone dozens of them out of this picture - and then waited out the clouds. After probably not more than 30 minutes, we spotted a couple other rather dejected looking photographers wandering into our rightly claimed territory and slowly mozied over to mingle. Turned out it was Dustin Gent and Justin Grimm, who decided to come up the hard way. So we all ended up bs-ing for several hours and took in the show as the clouds actually did finally clear, much to my amazement. So I'll probably get skunked the next dozen visits to Rainier now.
What beautiful light, and thanks for the update on the mosquitoes, I was wondering how bad they were. I should be there in a week, so hopefully you left some good sunsets on the table for when I get there!
JimFox wrote:
What beautiful light, and thanks for the update on the mosquitoes, I was wondering how bad they were.
Just layer up on the bug spray and you'll be fine. I had at least three coats of DEET on and I didn't get bitten, but they were still swarming like mad. Black flies are still pretty bad too, but mostly in the forested areas.
Beautiful shot, Bryan. I left there several days ago, would like to have stayed longer. Only one sunset evening during my week and I was outside the park, up on White Pass.
rsk7 wrote:
I've always heard that DEET can melt some forms of plastic and keep it far away from you camera gear.
In my experience, it would take a LOT of concentrated exposure for that to happen. I had the outer coating on the grip of my 1st gen Digital Rebel start to break down, but I think that was largely just a result of heavy use, consistently sweaty and grimy palms, and the materials that were used. Never had problems with anything else, but then again I usually don't coat the palms of my hands with bug spray either.
