This, then, is what the love of glaciers means:

Yesterday, you hiked Mt. St. Helens. You climbed up 4,500 feet over the course of four miles, clambering over sharp boulders and loose scree. You then turned around and picked your way back down 4,500 feet of the same.

You woke up this morning with every muscle in your lower body wailing, suggesting maybe you should be a little kinder today.

You arrived at the Mt. Rainier National Park wilderness office, because backcountry camping was your only plan for finding a place to sleep tonight, and asked if there were any sites left that did not require a strenuous or lengthy hike.

You listened as the ranger ran through a list of unappealing options – seven miles is too many, 2,000 feet elevation gain is too many, 2,000 feet elevation lost is WAY too many, three miles might be okay except half of it parallels the highway?

And then you listen as the ranger kindly offers to check for available group sites, since those could be given away to a non-group at such short notice.

You listen as she says, “the Glacier Basin site is open, oh, but that’s four miles in and nearly 2,000 up-“

And you hardly let her finish the sentence before you say “WE’LL TAKE THAT ONE.”

… More For the Love of Glaciers