THE BURROUGHS | 22 AUG

Every hiker can understand the dilemma of trying to find a hike in the middle of fire season…and still be able to breath. By the end of August, it seemed as though there was no end in sight, as air quality levels remained hazardous across the state. As a hiker, my mind wanted to say: the hell with it, just hike. The nurse in me held me back, realizing that continuing to hike wasn’t the best idea.

Later in the afternoon on August 21, I was monitoring air quality levels and saw a glimmer of hope: Mount Rainier appeared relatively clear. So I packed up my bags and was on my way. Three hours later, the air slowly started to clear. Patches of clear blue sky.

As the sun set, the smoked began to roll in, filling the sky with haze. I watched as the sun dropped behind the mountain, hoping the next morning would be clear again. The the Sunrise viewpoint, I spent the early portion of the night watching stars peak through.

The next morning, I left from Sunrise Visitor Center and made my way to Second Burroughs. The closer I got to Mount Rainier, the clear the skies became. Blue skies in the middle of so much smoke. I am sure there is some science to this, but it was just what I needed to lift my spirits. The majority of the trail is exposed, providing a clear view of the mountain. In the distance, you could see mountain goats well below the trail. I left early morning, which meant that a normally packed parking lot was almost empty, as was the trail.

Looking back towards First Burroughs.

After reaching Second Burroughs, I decided to make a loop back to the visitor center by way of Shadow Lake and the Sunrise Rim Trail. Approximately half a mile before reaching the visitor center, I saw my first black bear (while hiking). Three years of hiking in Washington and a couple years hiking in Yosemite, and I finally faced my “fear” of running into one. S/he didn’t care whatsoever and just stood there as I yelled and continued by. Unfortunately I only had my phone out, so the picture isn’t that great.