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Daily Reports, Day 6
Yesterday's distance covered: 13 miles. Last night's campsite: White River Campground (elevation 4,300 feet). Yesterday's weather: Clear early, partly cloudy in the afternoon, but nice. Today's wake up weather: Clear skies, 36 degrees. Happenings: The mountain turned lavender at sun up. It was another reminder of the special qualities of Mount Rainier's Sunrise area, my personal favorite. Crossing Panhandle Gap (elevation 6,800 feet) was easier than expected. Having good weather helped. Tim and I marched through a lot of snow on both sides of the Gap, but it never felt dangerous. The mountain put on a great visual display all the way down to Summerland. Tim, making his fourth Wonderland trip in the last four years, says he's never seen so much snow on the eastern slopes. After sharing the trail for three days, Tim and I finally part company, a sad moment for both of us. I had to get down to White River to meet friends delivering supplies. Tim will end his trip later today at Sunrise. Tim had shared one of his trekking poles while we sashayed through the snow the last two days. I shared a terrific freeze-dried apple cobbler from Backpacker's Pantry with him Wednesday night. As we split we both say how much we enjoyed each other's company. "I like doing the trip, but I liked making a friend even more," Tim said, a really nice thing to say. We were on the verge of hugging each other, but we both smelled too bad. Nice views: Everything between Indian Bar and the lunarscape that precedes Summerland. The meadow at Summerland was liberally decorated with tiny yellow flowers yesterday. Thoughts: I could use a new hiking partner. Looking ahead: Lousy weather may be moving in. I might accelerate my itinerary. Last night's dinner: A 12-inch turkey sub from Subway (about $6). imported from the civilized world by seattletimes.com producer Jessica Zahn. It was great. Thanks for all supplies, Jessica. Distance still to travel: 60 miles.
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Friday, Sept. 3
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