Granite Mountain Galaxy Quest

Galaxy Quest! It sounded so epic, at least to me. No, we would not be hurtling through space on an interstellar starship constructed by sentient beings, we would be hurtling through space on a planet, our starship Earth. And yet we would be amongst the stars.

Mark Valdez and his son Chase jumped at the chance when I invited them to join me on a hike up Granite Mountain to photograph the Galactic Core of the Milky Way. Packing heavy photo equipment and overnight gear over several miles and up 3,820 vertical feet was brutal, but soon forgotten as we unfurled our sleeping bags for a bivy amongst the summit boulders and then dined on Mark’s scratch made camp stew. The hearty warmth of it with the subtle flavors of mixed vegetables and savory smoked chicken sausage would fuel our bodies for the chilly late-night light show ahead.

We settled on a viewing spot, looking south past the vintage fire lookout tower, towards the regal glaciated form of Mt. Rainier. If my PhotoPills app was correct, the Galactic Core of the Milky Way would arc majestically up into the night sky over the summit of the volcano. I set up my tripod and got my settings adjusted for the long exposures necessary to capture the ancient lights that would be conveyed to us across almost inconceivable distances. The waiting was punctuated by some late arriving hiker photographers that wanted to capture the sunset from the summit. Their visit and our conversations with them helped pass the time as we waited for the main event.

As the sun set and the blue hour emerged, they all departed, hiking down the miles to the trailhead, their path illuminated by only the stars and the tiny lights of their headlamps. We waited and told stories. It got colder. Mark and Chase positioned their pads on sloping boulders as if they were lawn chairs and snuggled into their sleeping bags to wait. I stood shivering by my tripod and ate an energy bar. And finally, we were rewarded with what we had come for. It was a cloudless, wind free night and the app was spot on as the GC of the Milky Way appeared where predicted and our eyes adjusted to take in the brilliance of the star clusters that sparkled in the clear night sky. I worked the camera into the dark, feeling like I was fumbling along in my attempt to capture the GC as it rose almost vertically to dominate the southern skies over Mt. Rainier. I kept shooting, trying a range of exposures, with two different lenses, not wanting to miss this hard-won opportunity.

At last, I was satisfied and feeling suitably fatigued, we finally tucked into our bags at our bivy site, breathing in the crisp mountain air and staring up at the infinite universe sweeping over us. It was a breathtaking view, without the light pollution of a nearby city. It was a long time ago, as a child, at a remote lake cabin in Minnesota, that I could last remember seeing so many brilliant stars, all shining with such amazing intensity.

Waking at dawn, we took photos of the sunrise, ate more stew, and then reluctantly packed up and hiked down from the site of the night sky magic. We had not encountered many hikers on our afternoon ascent the day before but today would be different. It was the weekend and this was a popular trail. We counted 102 people coming up Sunday morning as we descended (even before the Pratt Lake Trail intersection). There would be a party up top. We decided to award a mini chocolate bar to the 100^th hiker we encountered and since the universe is a strange place, number 100 was a woman who Mark had worked with at K2. Of course, Diane was delighted with the chocolate prize and seeing her old friend Mark again. Really. You can't make this stuff up. Trip verdict? Priceless!!!

Granite Mountain Dawn Patrol: https://www.360cities.net/image/granite-mountain-dawn-patrol-alpine-lakes-wilderness-washington-state-usa

Granite Mountain Sunrise: https://www.360cities.net/image/granite-mountain-sunrise-vista-alpine-lakes-wilderness-washington-state

Granite Mountain Cirrus Clouds: https://www.360cities.net/image/granite-mountain-cirrus-clouds-alpine-lakes-wilderness-washington-state