Manatee Peak - 3.23.2014
Directions from Longmire in Mt. Rainier National Park to the Narada Falls parking area.
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rodman's May 2011 GPS track from Narada Falls to the summit of Manatee Peak... very close to our route on this trip... 7.5 miles roundtrip, gaining 2550 feet of elevation.
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Gearing up at a very busy Narada Falls parking area (4400').
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Above Narada Falls on the Stevens Canyon Road... Chutla Peak and Eagle Peak in the distance.
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Looking down on the Narada Falls parking area from the Stevens Canyon Road.
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Lane Peak from the road.
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Chutla Peak (left) and Eagle Peak from the Stevens Canyon Road.
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The Castle (left) and Pinnacle Peak from the road.
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Clouds over Reflection Lakes (4800')... time to leave the road and head for The Castle.
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Peek-a-boo look at Pinnacle Peak as we gain elevation toward The Castle.
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Snowdog and BarbE on a good path.
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BarbE and tomman... with The Castle and Pinnacle Peak above.
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BarbE and Snowdog heading for the ridge on the east side of The Castle.
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The east side of Pinnacle Peak.
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Skiers and snowshoers gaining the ridge on the east side of The Castle.
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The east side of The Castle.
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tomman reaches the ridge on the east side of The Castle... and that would be Mount Rainier across the valley.
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Lunchtime on the ridge... skiers and boarders are getting ready to descend... while climbers are higher up getting ready to climb The Castle.
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A closer look at the climbers on The Castle.
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We are heading for Manatee Peak (foreground)... with Unicorn Peak beyond.
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Have to give back some elevation to get over to Manatee.
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Still descending... Manatee Peak above.
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Still descending... but almost ready to head up again.
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Not sure of the peak in the foreground... but Mt. St. Helens is in the distance on the left.
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Pure as the driven snow.
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Gaining elevation now... and looking back at The Castle.
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Steeper terrain now... looking back at The Castle and Pinnacle Peak which look like one mountain.
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Two skiers above us heading for the Manatee summit.
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We have caught the skiers who have decided to carry their skis to the summit... tomman points out an area that we should all avoid.
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The two skiers are nearing the Manatee summit.
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From the Manatee summit (6524') I am looking at Stevens Peak (left) and Unicorn Peak.
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BarbE watches tomman switch from snowshoes to micro-spikes for the first part of the descent.
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BarbE descending from the Manatee summit... she is not as close to the void as it appears in this photo.
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Snowdog tiptoeing her way over to easier terrain.... Mt. St. Helens on the horizon.
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Snowdog and tomman working their way down from the Manatee summit.
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I asked BarbE to shoot me in front of Rainier.
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Snowdog and BarbE have found a comfortable break area just below the Manatee summit.
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Looking at our steps up to the Manatee Peak summit... Unicorn Peak on the left... look hard enough and you will see a distant Mt. Adams just to the left of the summit.
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Group photo just below the Manatee Peak summit... BarbE, tomman, ragman and Snowdog.
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Catching rays below the Manatee Peak summit.
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Time to head back toward The Castle.
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Snowdog descending.
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I never tire from looking at the big guy.
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Have to give back 500 feet of elevation and then regain 200 feet to get back to The Castle.
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Looking back at our tracks on Manatee Peak.
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Looking back at Manatee Peak and Unicorn Peak as we near The Castle.
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Back at The Castle... everyone has left for the day.
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Clouds forming around Mt. Rainier.
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Descending from The Castle.
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The spotlight is on The Castle... it will take us 1.5 hours to get back to the car at Narada Falls.
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