Mt Rainier & Milky Way

The new moon night sky combined with clear and cloudless was reason enough to tease me back to this iconic location at 3:30AM for this shot. Two frames were photomerged.

35 mm, F2.0 and ISO 3,200 for 25 seconds

The lights on the mtn are the headlamps of climbers making their way to the top. Just a comment on climbers.... they often awaken at 1-3AM and start for the top from their campsite at 10K...that leaves about 4.5K to achieve. Leaving in the dark is the best way to walk on hardened snow that is frozen by the cool night air. Ice bridges, seracs, and rubble that is iced over tends to give way as the heat of the day progresses into the warm temps above freezing. Safety conscience climbers try to get up to the top by dawn...enjoy the view...then head down and be past the danger avalanche zones by 11 am. It is safer than climbing in daylight.

(Joe C - this was not with Steve L and others…this was done alone early Tues morning… July 29.)

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