Eric David Warren

Stalking the Summit of Mt. Rainier

—

by

ericwarren
in , ,

My good friend Jeff Handlin and his brother Scott just fulfilled a dream by attempting to summit Mount Rainier. “We found out there is no such thing as conquering a mountain; it can flick one off like a piece of lint anytime it feels like it,” Jeff said in an email to me. “But if one perseveres respectfully, it may deem worthiness and grant passage for a short time.”

Jeff and Scott battled steep slopes, crevasses and 50mph winds to earn their summit view at 7:30am Wednesday, June 15th.

“We agreed this was pretty much one of the hardest things we’ve ever done,” Jeff wrote, “but we were treated to one of the most grueling and rewarding experiences of our lives.”

Here are a few of Jeff’s photos from the climb.

camp, muir, rainier, snow, wind, sky, summit, mountain, mount, washington
At Muir Camp. Photo by Jeff Handlin
climb, camp, muir, rainier, snow, wind, sky, summit, mountain, mount, washington
On Disappointment Cleaver Route. Photo by Jeff Handlin
climb, camp, muir, rainier, snow, wind, sky, summit, mountain, mount, washington
Worth the Effort. Photo by Jeff Handlin
climb, scenery, camp, muir, rainier, snow, wind, sky, summit, mountain, mount, washington
A New Day on Rainier. Photo by Jeff Handlin

Congratulations, guys!

Comments

106 responses to “Stalking the Summit of Mt. Rainier”

  1. Photo of the Week: A New Day on Rainier | Arteries of America Avatar
    Photo of the Week: A New Day on Rainier | Arteries of America

    […] northwest, providing a landmark and a reminder of the great wildernesses that lie untamed. Though people like Jeff climb Rainier, most would not consider it […]

    Reply
  2. Mikalee Byerman Avatar
    Mikalee Byerman

    Um. WOW! Amazing accomplishment, and INCREDIBLE photos…

    I now return to my cup of coffee and Internet surfing…feeling a bit silly and unaccomplished after these pix…

    😉

    Reply
  3. Kathryn McCullough Avatar
    Kathryn McCullough

    Wow–I’m impressed! Thanks for sharing these fabulous photos–conquering the mountain! And congrats on Freshly Pressed!
    Kathy

    Reply
  4. thebigbookofdating Avatar
    thebigbookofdating

    WOW these are really really amazing shots!!! (:

    Reply
  5. Calogero Mira Avatar
    Calogero Mira

    Nice sky, nice snow.

    http://calogeromiratraveland.wordpress.com

    http://www.twitter.com/CalogeroMiraEng

    http://www.friendfeed.com/CalogeroMira

    http://www.facebook.com/CalogeroMira

    Reply
  6. 7des7iny Avatar
    7des7iny

    Hope you had fun during the expedition.
    And nice sun photo there! 🙂

    Reply
  7. gaycarboys Avatar
    gaycarboys

    Wonderful, scarey, amazing and YOU PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!:) Well done!.

    Reply
  8. incessantme Avatar
    incessantme

    WOW…just awesome pics !!! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed ! 🙂

    Reply
  9. ournote2self Avatar
    ournote2self

    OMG!!! That looks amazing! (And scary!) I admire him for taking such an advertous trip!

    Reply
  10. ournote2self Avatar
    ournote2self

    *adventurous

    Reply
  11. The Vintage Toy Advertiser Avatar
    The Vintage Toy Advertiser

    Wow! Congratulations and some very nice photos. I visited Rainier from the UK in 2006 and went as high as one could go before climbing was necessary. I was completely in awe of what I saw and fell in love with that mountain instantly.

    Reply
  12. Just Ramblin' Pier Avatar
    Just Ramblin’ Pier

    There goes my feeling all good and accomplished about completing my hot yoga class today! : ) Excellent accomplishment and stunning stunning photos. Wow!

    Reply
  13. be awake Avatar
    be awake

    very good shots. and unique hobby. i believe it’s more like spiritual trip. or psychological trip to make your brain more peaceful.

    Reply
    1. ericwarren Avatar
      ericwarren

      Absolutely. I couldn’t have said it better.

      Reply
  14. dawnschuck Avatar
    dawnschuck

    What stunning images from an equally stunning adventure.

    Out of interest, how high is Mount Rainier?

    I do wish I were a tad more athletically inclined, as it is, I remain athletically challenged!

    Thanks for much for sharing such an inspring post.

    Reply
    1. ericwarren Avatar
      ericwarren

      It is 14,411 feet (4,392 meters) and its prominence is 13,211 feet (4,027 meters). Mount Rainier is the 21st most prominent peak in the world.
      -Eric

      Reply
  15. georgettesullins Avatar
    georgettesullins

    I love to stare out the window and take in the immensity of this mountain/volcano when I fly into Seattle. These are amazing up close pictures of something I’ve only seen from a distance. I remember it seemed to be 30 minutes into our flight departing, and I could still see it! Awesome photos of an awesome mountain/volcano.

    Reply
  16. Sh*t my 6-year-old says Avatar
    Sh*t my 6-year-old says

    Okay, that 2nd to last photo makes me dizzy. Congrats to your friends! Amazing journey and great shots!! Today I conquered getting my 6-year-old off to camp and getting to work. Lots of parallels between this and mountain climbing: tons of gear, lack of sleep, lots of trudging, a little crying (me), dragging of feet (him), breathlessness, and an amazing sense of accomplishment that we both made it to our respective locations on time!

    Reply
    1. ericwarren Avatar
      ericwarren

      I’d love to see the photo essay for that! Cheers!

      Reply
  17. bigpictureone Avatar
    bigpictureone

    Nice photo essay on climbing one of the most dangerous stratovolcanoes in the world. The vivid photos in particular gave me a sense of what it would have been like climbing this icon of the Cascades. Thank you. Namaste…

    Reply
  18. Stalking the Summit of Mt. Rainier | Post 140

    […] Stalking the Summit of Mt. Rainier […]

    Reply
  19. cravesadventure Avatar
    cravesadventure

    One Word – BEAUTIFUL. Here’s to celebrating the beauties around us. Congrats on being FP!

    Reply
  20. Grace Curtis Avatar
    Grace Curtis

    Mountains

    Are you stepping
    onto a reluctant foothold

    of some ancient stone pushed
    from the mantle in a fit

    of rage, its frost glossed surface
    a constant threat?

    Is your walking stick pressed
    into the loose remarks of shale

    that have lain in peace till now?
    When I lie down to sleep

    I am parallel to the sky as if God
    himself placed me prone

    upon the ground at birth just
    to contrast your dogged slant, my legs

    too short my vision too narrow
    to climb. Your mountains are real

    to you but a mere distant outline
    in my periphery a photograph spiked

    with small dark specs too far away
    for me to know for sure if I am seeing

    mountain climber or mountain goat
    and too near to heaven for someone

    as tied to earth as I.

    Reply
    1. michael Avatar
      michael

      Enjoyed the poetry as much as the pic’s Grace.

      Reply
  21. Cap'n Stephel Avatar
    Cap’n Stephel

    Wow! Amazing shots!

    http://tehcatspajamas.wordpress.com

    Reply
  22. Diganta Avatar
    Diganta

    Wow!!!

    Reply
  23. The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife Avatar
    The Simple Life of a Country Man’s Wife

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  24. theworldviastandby Avatar
    theworldviastandby

    Wow, what an adventure to partake! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  25. Para Kazanma Avatar
    Para Kazanma

    woww very nice photos

    Reply
  26. JE Greenwood Avatar
    JE Greenwood

    Wow great! Congrats!
    The pictures are awesome!

    Reply
  27. mountaincoward Avatar
    mountaincoward

    Brilliant photos – looks scarily sleep that snow slope though! My limit is the Scottish Highlands and British mountains in winter and I find them challenging – your trip is quite a few jumps above that!

    Reply
  28. Angelene Avatar
    Angelene

    Gorgeous!

    Reply
  29. biscuitskill3t Avatar
    biscuitskill3t

    Absolutely INCREDIBLE shots! And AWESOME journey… way to go!

    Reply
  30. tleitao Avatar
    tleitao

    Awesome photos! I have climbed “The Mountain” 3 times. It is definitely an amazing experience.

    Toni
    http://www.retrieverlife.com

    Reply
  31. thor27 Avatar
    thor27

    Nice climb neat photos it was windy I could tell.

    Reply
  32. ls zhao Avatar
    ls zhao

    ok, i give full marks for those guys. i always want to do something just like this.

    maybe i just am lack of courage.

    Reply
  33. Peggy A Thompson Avatar
    Peggy A Thompson

    Congratulations! Glad that everyone made it back safe and sound! I’ve taken so many photos OF the mountain and always wondered what it would look like FROM the mountain! Thanks for sharing the great photos and your jubilation of conquering “the mountain.”

    Reply
  34. Harold Avatar
    Harold

    Cool shots! A lot more challenging than Mt. Antero in Colorado which is a 14er and I have climbed/hiked. No snow either.
    Congrats on being FP!

    Reply
  35. bukuinfo Avatar
    bukuinfo

    amazing photo of summit. and love your blog 😀

    Reply
  36. sheokhanda Avatar
    sheokhanda

    wow… Mountain climbing is so fun….

    Reply
  37. sahrul1987 Avatar
    sahrul1987

    great trip,

    great mount climbing!

    Reply
  38. Thorsaurus Avatar
    Thorsaurus

    One of my favorite places. Early North Americans called it Tahoma, but no name really does it justice. I like the Goat Rocks just south of Rainier too.

    Reply
  39. deepika Avatar
    deepika

    Beautiful is the word for the pictures.

    Reply
  40. thriveoutdoors Avatar
    thriveoutdoors

    Great shots! Looks like they had awesome weather for the trek!!

    Reply
  41. travelwithlaughter Avatar
    travelwithlaughter

    Awesome pics!

    Reply
  42. Hakuba Blog Avatar
    Hakuba Blog

    Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing. It brought up memories of climbing Mt Kinabalu in Borneo many years back. It was a similar height and we watched the sunrise with thunderstorms underneath us.

    Reply
  43. gingerclubnger Avatar
    gingerclubnger

    OH, I love your pictures. It gets me totally into the mood for hiking and mountaineering. I want to do the John Muir Trail next year.
    There is nothing more beautiful and rewarding than being out in such a beautiful nature. Thank you so much for reminding me!

    Peace and Smiles

    Ginger

    Reply
  44. divyatrungta Avatar
    divyatrungta

    Adventure at its very best!

    Reply
  45. Interval training Avatar
    Interval training

    Amazing photos!

    Reply
  46. charlywalker Avatar
    charlywalker

    Love this Mt. I’m from Seattle,..most I did was Paradise point.

    Reply
  47. Agirl07 Avatar
    Agirl07

    Cool Pics(: Mount Rainer reminds me of my childhood. I don’t know why so dont ask.

    Reply
  48. Scarlett Avatar
    Scarlett

    Gorgeous photos; thank you so much for sharing your work! I love hiking and climbing, but my camera skills are sorrowfully lacking…

    Reply
  49. lerocherhotel Avatar
    lerocherhotel

    these photos are amazing!

    Reply
  50. rdssvsubhash Avatar
    rdssvsubhash

    Wow! really amazing

    Reply
  51. fatadventures Avatar
    fatadventures

    AMAZING PHOTOS!

    Reply
  52. opewalker Avatar
    opewalker

    lovely! Congrats

    Reply
  53. Imaginarium of Pau Avatar
    Imaginarium of Pau

    Nice shots. I am jealous of this experience of yours, but was inspired by the beauty of these photos. Keep on inspiring people. 🙂

    Reply
  54. cbowiephoto Avatar
    cbowiephoto

    Those are great photos…

    Reply
  55. sketchjay Avatar
    sketchjay

    Awesome!!!!

    Reply
  56. Christopher David Petersen Avatar
    Christopher David Petersen

    Love the photo’s. I haven’t been to Rainier in a very long time… brought back some great memories: http://ow.ly/5vNSK

    Reply
  57. trialsinfood Avatar
    trialsinfood

    wow amazing.

    Reply
  58. kondendin Avatar
    kondendin

    i like , in thailand not is snow T-T

    Reply
  59. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Amazing pictures! Thanks for sharing them.

    Reply
  60. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    Good one.

    Reply
  61. ruminatingred Avatar
    ruminatingred

    The times in our lives that we remember are those when we put forth unprecedented effort, conquered our fears and did what we thought was impossible. It doesn’t need to be climbing a mountain…it can be as small as putting one’s foot on the floor and taking one tiny step. The point is the challenge, not the feat

    Nevertheless, what a feat!!

    Congratulations!

    Reply
  62. Kim Owens Avatar
    Kim Owens

    Thanks so much for sharing! Mt. Rainier is in my hometown, and I now live in Australia… I saw your post in Freshly Pressed and OF COURSE had to read it… it made me so homesick! The photos are absolutely stunning! Congratulations on Freshly Pressed and Congrats to your friends on such an amazing accomplishment! Kim

    Reply
  63. richannkur Avatar
    richannkur

    nice

    Reply
  64. Jörgen Dahlberg Avatar
    Jörgen Dahlberg

    A decade ago I was standing way below the summit looking up, seeing at least two teams working their way to the top. The awesome grandness of the mountain and the effort they where putting in made me a richer person. The trail run down to the mountain station later was and still is to this day the best run I’ve ever experienced. Some day I hope to return and follow in your footsteps.

    /JD

    Reply
  65. joahnadiyosa Avatar
    joahnadiyosa

    Wow! Great perspectives! Summits are really great subjects for photography! 🙂 Congrats for being freshly pressed! ^^

    Reply
  66. holleirth Avatar
    holleirth

    wow wonderful and adventerous trip . May be Try on Nepal moutains if possible

    http://www.sahadevh.wordpress.com/

    have a safe journey

    Reply
  67. losangelas Avatar
    losangelas

    What a great challange! the photos are amazing!!

    Reply
  68. wehr18 Avatar
    wehr18

    Awesome journey. Your 200 words and few but beautiful pics tell an amazing story!

    Reply
  69. Matabram Avatar
    Matabram

    very amazing picture of the mountain.i feel how small we are..

    Reply
  70. Modern Funk Avatar
    Modern Funk

    Amazing photos…adventure of a lifetime!

    Reply
  71. smariananetti Avatar
    smariananetti

    WOW,,,,,tht’s amazing

    Reply
  72. hezelmark09 Avatar
    hezelmark09

    can’t imagine how it feels to be there..

    Reply
  73. Heidi Nicole Avatar
    Heidi Nicole

    The above the clouds photos are simply amazing! Gorgeous and it looks to be so worth the effort!

    Reply
  74. Morgan Harper Nichols Avatar
    Morgan Harper Nichols

    This is amazing. I simply cannot imagine seeing such things with my own eyes.

    Reply
  75. DrAnthonysBlog Avatar
    DrAnthonysBlog

    The last photo is my favorite! Well done!

    Reply
  76. Vasare Avatar
    Vasare

    looks like an amazing place!

    Reply
  77. Stalking the Summit of Mt. Rainier | Travel to Kelantan

    […] FreshlyPressed This entry was posted in Gunung Stong State Park and tagged Rainier, Stalking, Summit. Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. « Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Dipped Strawberries […]

    Reply
  78. Gary Bolyer Fine Art Avatar
    Gary Bolyer Fine Art

    Beautiful images. I recently did a painting of Mt Rainier, but from a very much lower and safer altitude. lol Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.

    Reply
  79. Lara Dunning Avatar
    Lara Dunning

    Fantastic photos! What an accomplishment. My cousin is doing that this week. I hope her weather is as good as theirs.

    Reply
  80. takenoko Avatar
    takenoko

    Wow nice pics, went to Mt Rainier many times to hike around…climbing it seems definitively sth different!

    Reply
  81. Sony Fugaban Avatar
    Sony Fugaban

    The last picture is stunning; it took my breath away. 🙂 Congrats for summiting that mountain.

    Reply
  82. abhidworx Avatar
    abhidworx

    wow, gorgeous pictures. My congratulations to your friend jeff on this amazing feat.

    Reply
  83. Don Avatar
    Don

    Really nice pictures. Interesting to see how different the ice looks in June compared to how it looked when I was there later in September in 91. You climbed on snow, we mostly climbed on ice sculpted by wind into “ice-waves” and gravel (from 11K to 12K). WOW, camp Muir had so much more show in your photo. I thought I was unlucky to experience winds or 50 to 80 mph, but from your blog, that sounds common. Nice job getting to the summit. I wish I could find my negatives and convert them to digital format to share.

    Reply
  84. Rohit Maiya Avatar
    Rohit Maiya

    Awesome pics.
    About the 2nd pic.. Is it an avalanche?
    Congrats.

    Reply
    1. ericwarren Avatar
      ericwarren

      Nope. Just a narrow path on a steep sidehill.

      Reply
  85. bee jay Avatar
    bee jay

    Inspiring! Awesome! Use to live in Washington State for 7 yrs and I loved visiting Mt. Ranier!

    Reply
  86. lisawang19830427 Avatar
    lisawang19830427

    What a fabulas picture, I’m loving it and I hope to go there someday!!!

    Reply
  87. fygar292 Avatar
    fygar292

    wonderful experience .. I wish I could do something like this!.awesome :D!

    Reply
  88. Mt. Rainer Photographs « Arthur: the Art Zine

    […] the Pacific Northwest, is a massive.  And dangerous.  So we at Arthur are all admiring the great pictures posted here of attempting the […]

    Reply
  89. the island traveler Avatar
    the island traveler

    Everything spells thrill and adventure. best one was the last photo, looks like a guiding star telling everyone to follow it. congrats.

    Reply
  90. ennospace Avatar
    ennospace

    It is so beautiful!! I want to go there when saw these pictures!!

    Reply
  91. Eric E Photography Avatar
    Eric E Photography

    Cool photos, I live in Seattle and love when the mountain is out!! I climbed it in whiteout and wind with no view, so I’m anxious to get back. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  92. Highness Shadow Avatar
    Highness Shadow

    For a moment I was taken back 20 years ago, I was a resident of Tacoma Wa. I remember driving there from Florida and thinking to myself how much beauty that I’ve missed until I reaced that part of the country. Your photos are greatly appreciated………..peace

    Reply
  93. Carol White Llewellyn Avatar
    Carol White Llewellyn

    Wonderful photos! They truly give a sense of how small man is in this environment an how overwhelming it must feel to be “standing on top of the world.” Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  94. Pete Buckley Avatar
    Pete Buckley

    Awesome photos – looks like a brilliant climb.

    Reply
  95. Cherszy Avatar
    Cherszy

    What an interesting adventure!

    Reply
  96. nevetsjohn Avatar
    nevetsjohn

    nice shot the last pic looks excellent! and congrats for reaching the summit!

    Reply
  97. Julia Streit Avatar
    Julia Streit

    So beautiful, it hurts not to be there! Amazing pictures. Thank you for posting them!

    Reply
  98. realanonymousgirl2011 Avatar
    realanonymousgirl2011

    Amazing! I don’t know if I could ever do that.

    Reply
  99. foxyandcarver Avatar
    foxyandcarver

    Gorgeous photography. Truly breathtaking!

    Reply
  100. niceartlife Avatar
    niceartlife

    What an incredible impressive journey climbing the summit!! That small path of ice is so impressive, dangerous too, but the panorama is breathtaking!

    Reply
  101. Chinook Country Chick Avatar
    Chinook Country Chick

    Amazing! I live din Seattle for 11 years and always got a good view of Rainier on a clear day (which really isn’t all too often- ha ha!)

    I bagged my first peak this week, though not nearly to the level of Rainier. You can check it out here: http://bettylivin.com/2011/07/27/hiking-to-mount-vimy-peak-in-waterton-alberta/

    Reply

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