Islands in the Sky

Galaxy Quest…the purpose of our late August Friday evening hike was to photograph the Galactic Core of the Milky Way over Mount Rainier. There would be a new moon far from the light pollution of the cities and we gambled on favorable night sky conditions. As we entered the Sunrise parking lot at 5:45 pm, I was surprised to see how many cars were still present. The day was perfect, partly cloudy skies, warm temperatures, no wind and negligible bugs. Having driven from the Seattle area which was cloudy and overcast, we were overjoyed at the prospect for clear night skies, or mostly clear. Our intention was to hike up the Sourdough Ridge Trail until the intersection with the Huckleberry Creek Trail, then ascent the ridge and find a vantage point from which to photograph the GC as it rose above the snowcapped volcano. That concept was soon abandoned after hiking up and assessing some narrow sketchy perches with loose rock. There just wasn’t enough room to set up without worry that we’d fall off the cliff. We hiked on…to our eventual destination, the historic Fremont Lookout.

     Arriving at the lookout at 7:10 pm, the beginning of the golden hour, we were surprised to encounter seven other photographers already gathered around the lookout, all hanging out to shoot the Milky Way. It was a friendly group and everyone found their own space, and waited. I killed time before the dark skies by shooting the sunset and the fleeting blue hour. Unfortunately, some clouds drifted in above the mountain and hampered what could have been a perfect night shoot. We tussled with the intermittent drifting clouds that obscured the galactic light show but somehow managed to get some beautiful night sky images. The clouds unexpectedly and dramatically magnified the light pollution of the coastal cities as photons reflected off the atmospheric moisture within. But the big surprise of the evening was the roiling sea of low clouds that enveloped the mountain and the fire lookout peak as islands in the sky. The blanket of the inversion layer was stunning to behold. It added a sense of otherworldly enchantment. As more clouds moved in, we figured that we had probably caught the brief window of clarity and that conditions would continue to deteriorate. It was now cold. We were tired. We could not stay as overnighting was not permitted. Hiking out with the meager light of our headlamps, we focused on staying upright on the loose rocky trail. The memory of our silent time at the lookout hung in our minds and we were satisfied. It was indeed a memorable place and had been a magical evening.

     For the other photography enthusiasts out there, and I know there are many of you, I want to share that I always learn something new from every outing, and some lessons are learned repeatedly. The one I’m referring to is that you can previsualize and make plans, and should, but you always encounter the unexpected and have to throw the plans out the window and respond to the present conditions. And sometimes it’s more of a gift than a hinderance. I always feel that I’m a bit slow on my response to changing or unexpected conditions, but I am always rewarded when I stay open to the new possibilities and work hard to take advantage what I am offered, especially in light of all the effort it takes to hike to some wilderness locations. It’s important to take a moment to regroup, adapt and take advantage of the unique possibilities offered in the present moment. Just saying…as much for myself as for the rest of you. Have fun out there, and be safe, especially hiking around in the dark

     I did capture one spherical panorama at Fremont Lookout. It’s a blue hour shot with the inversion layer that surrounded us. The 360s are hosted at 360cities.net. Click the links and for best viewing click on the ‘Toggle Fullscreen’ icon in the panel in the upper right of the onscreen.

Blue Hour Vista, Mount Fremont Lookout, Mt. Rainier National Park: https://www.360cities.net/image/blue-hour-vista-mount-fremont-lookout-mt-rainier-national-park-wa-state