Change of Routine

Roderick on Dege Peak

I vary my routine during my two weeks summer vacation, even if circumstances require me to stay close to town. Today I went to Sunrise, Mount Rainier National Park, with some of our family. Son-in-law Ted, daughter Leslie and grandson Micah hiked with me for a couple miles along Sourdough Ridge, and then I went on alone to Dege Peak (elevation 7006 ft.). When I got to the summit, I found a woman there of my generation silently drinking in the magnificent 360° view. After catching my breath from the challenge of the final switchbacks, I quietly asked, "So is there someone to thank or did this all happen by chance?" The woman laughed and said, "Oh, there's definitely somebody to thank; it's all too perfect."

Here's a closer look at Clover Lake (elevation 5,751 ft.), visible in the photo above, just to the right of my wristwatch.

The hike to Dege Peak was lined with wildflowers. From late July to early August, the alpine meadows glow with colors, like the purple of this lupine:
From the top of Dege Peak I could look southward across snowy crags and see Mt. Adams in the distance:
And here's the view that I had from where I was sitting, of Sunrise meadow, and of Mt. Rainier proper. Do please click on the photo to enlarge it and get the full effect!
"The amazing thing," I said to the lady on Dege Peak, "is that this all registers on our minds as beautiful; where does the capacity to recognize this as beautiful come from?" "There's definitely somebody to thank," she said.