For those unfamiliar with Rainier's topography, the top is composed of two overlapping craters. Upon arriving at the higher of the two (the east crater), all that was left was a short hike across the snow field to Columbia Crest, the true summit of Mount Rainier.
The crater rim remains exposed in the summer due to geothermal heat from the volcano, and in the west crater, under 100 feet of solid ice, lies the continent's highest lake, about 130' x 30' in area, 16' deep, and 14,200 feet in elevation. This lake is accessible via a series of ice caves (the world's largest network of volcanic ice caves), but spelunking wasn't in the plans for us, even if we could have found the entrance.
In the second photo, Brian and I, delirious from the grueling climb, the elevation, our dizzying sense of accomplishment, and the intemporality of it all, seek shelter from the wind before heading back down to the real world.
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