“Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame! “ — William Butler Yeats
Mount Ranier from White Pass ... Photo by Pat Bean
Travels With Maggie
I got my first good look at Mount Ranier from Highway 12 while crossing White Pass, whose 4,500 foot summit looks out over the Cascade Range of the Rocky Mountains. The view of the 14,411-foot mountain was impressive. My look was shared with a couple of scruffy looking motorcyclists riding Harley Davidsons.
I smiled at them and they smiled back. The magnificence of Mother Nature’s mountain gift vanished all differences between us. I’ve experienced this uniting phenomenon time and again. Besides, I had an inkling these two “Hogs” were probably doctors or lawyers in another life – since they could afford to own what looked like brand new Harleys.
Mount Ranier, which sits about 50 miles southeast of Seattle, is considered an active volcano, just like Mount St. Helen’s which erupted in 1980, killing 54 people. While Helen’s eruption had been expected, its roar was larger than expected. Ranier could one day throw a similar temper tantrum. It’s a sobering thought.
But what amazed me this hot July day was Ranier’s shining whiteness. The mountain, which is Washington’s tallest, has
Mount Ranier ... Photo by Pat Bean
numerous glaciers and a snowfield that never melts completely. From my current viewpoint its white cap was made even more prominent by the forest of green trees that stood between it and me.
Finally, both myself and the two motorcyclists were able to turn away from the mountain view and get back on the road. We waved at each other before they headed east and I headed west, all three of us in search of more of Mother Nature’s wonders.
I knew, from experience, that we wouldn’t have to travel far.
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