Cowlitz Rocks - 5.6.2016
A photo of the GPS track of our trip to Cowlitz Rocks in Mt. Rainier National Park... 7 miles roundtrip, gaining ~2700 feet of elevation.
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We started the hike from the Paradise parking lot (5400').
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Hiking down a plowed Paradise Valley Road... located at the east end of the parking lot... Snowdog takes a look at a serious possibility of future rock fall.
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We left the plowed Paradise Valley Road just past Edith Creek... time to put on our snowshoes and head up hill.
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Above the Paradise Valley Road... working our way up to Mazama Ridge... the Visitors lodge is in the center of the photo... with Chutla Peak and Eagle Peak on the left.
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On Mazama Ridge now... tomman finds some shade on this very hot day.
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Gaining elevation on Mazama Ridge... looking back at some of the Tatoosh Peaks.
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Heading toward Cowlitz Rocks... located in the center of the photo... Little Tahoma is on the left.
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The Tatoosh Range (with the exception of Eagle Peak which is chopped off on the far right)... Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens are coming into view on the horizon.
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A closeup of Tatoosh Peak, Unicorn Peak, West Unicorn and Manatee Peak on the far right... with Mt. Adams in the distance.
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A closeup of Mt. St. Helens in the distance behind Denman Peak... The Castle, Pinnacle Peak and Plummer Peak on the left... with Lane Peak and Chutla Peak on the right.
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No... it isn't a mosquito... instead, it is a helicopter... hopefully on a training mission.
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Continuing our way around some of the small bumps... heading in the direction of Little Tahoma.
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Ascending... working our way up between the south end of Paradise Glaciers and the Williwakas Glacier.
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This side-hilling sucks... and we will correct this on the way down by returning 100 feet lower down.
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Slow going on the side-hilling... Mt. Adams and some of the Tatoosh Range in the distance.
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It looks like we are going in the wrong direction... however, we are taking advantage of the easiest terrain as we work our way up to the Cowlitz Rocks summit on the far left.
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BarbE is heading directly for the summit.
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On steeper terrain now... Mt. Rainier on the left... and Little Tahoma on the right.
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Definitely on steeper terrain now as we get closer to the Cowlitz Rocks summit... Little Tahoma on the left.
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tomman checks in with his stock broker before starting up the steep section that leads to the summit.
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tomman on steep terrain... shoeing his way toward the summit... Tatoosh Peaks and Mt. Adams in the distance.
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BarbE celebrates being on the summit (7450') of Cowlitz Rocks.
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Mt. Rainier and Little Tahoma from the summit of Cowlitz Rocks.
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I hiked north along the summit area and looked back to see tomman reach the summit from the south ridge of Cowlitz Rocks.
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I came over to touch the top of this little spire just north of the summit and looked back to see tomman and BarbE posing on the summit.
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Snowdog (pink hat near the bottom of the photo) is working her way to the summit along the north ridge of Cowlitz Rocks.
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Looking east from the summit... very steep terrain as we look down the Williwakas Creek drainage.
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Snowdog hugs the spire... Little Tahoma in the distance on the left.
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All of the Tatoosh Range from the Cowlitz Rocks summit... with Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens on the horizon.
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A selfie with the Tatoosh Range behind us.
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A selfie with Mt. Rainier and Little Tahoma behind us.
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Looking down the south ridge of Cowlitz Rocks... tomman came up to the summit using a short section of this ridge.
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Looking east from the summit area.
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I asked BarbE to take a photo of me on the summit... trying to be cool.
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We took off our snowshoes to plunge-step our way down from the summit.
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I luv the Tatoosh Range.
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Working our way home.
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Still heading for the barn.
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Leaving Mazama Ridge and working our way down to Paradise Valley Road... and the short walk back to our car... an amazing day in Paradise.
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