
Mt. Rainier and Emmons Glacier from Sunrise, Mt. Rainier National Park
Posted by:
Hikenutty
N 46° 54.725 W 121° 38.472
10T E 603472 N 5196290
Quick Description: This photo was taken from "Emmons Vista", a popular overlook at the Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park.
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 8/20/2007 7:46:50 AM
Waymark Code: WM21H0
Views: 148
Long Description:This photo was taken from "Emmons Vista", a popular overlook at the
Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park. When I saw the Ansel
Adams photo, I immediately knew where it had been taken as this is
one of my favorite views of the mountain. It focuses on Emmons
Glacier, the largest glacier in the contiguous United States, as it
snakes its way down the side of Mt. Rainier.
On the day we visited you could only see the lower portion of
the mountain, but the glacier and familiar ridges in the AA photo
can be seen. You have to be lucky to see the Mountain on a
cloud-free day. You'll notice that the surrounding trees around the
overlook have grown a bit since 1948, when Adams took his photo
from this spot. The overlook was built in the early 1940's by the
CCC and the nearby trees at that time would have been cleared for
the view.
You can also notice a difference in the glacier. In 1963 a huge
rock slide off of Little Tahoma covered the lower portion of Emmons
glacier. This insulated the glacier causing the glacier to advance
at a rapid pace. It advanced rapidly for 30 years, and is still
advancing, but at a much slower rate.
To reach the overlook, take the Emmons Vista trail from the
Sunrise parking area. It's a short tenth of a mile to the overlook.
Sunrise opens in mid-July and closes down in the fall. It is the
best visitor area of the mountain for vistas of Rainier.