Climb dispatch: A sunset summit on Mount Rainier

An unusual sunset summit distinguished a late-August trek up Mount Rainier for the Hutchinson Center’s Climb to Fight Breast Cancer.

Climb manager and participant Lisa Carlson reported that her team reached the summit in twilight, rather than the traditional early-morning time frame, due to ideal snow and weather conditions. “This is a rare but wonderful occurrence,” she said. “We got to the top at 6:05 p.m., and after spending about 10 euphoric minutes on the summit, it was time to head down into the bright pink sunset.” 

Longtime Climb to Fight Breast Cancer participant Colin Stapp blogged about the pink-and-gold shadow cast by the 14,411-foot mountain, which the group descended quickly as night fell. Read more on his climb blog.

Also by early August, another team reached the summit of Mount Rainier, one group had scaled Mount Baker and two teams climbed Mount Adams. In addition, four teams headed up Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; an update and photos will be published in Center News in late September.

Register now for 2012 climbs

Registration is open for 2012 climbs. Visit the Climb to Fight Breast Cancer website for more information. All climbs include training in mountaineering skills by professional guides.