The Mountain is Out – at Home

5/9/20 Mt. Rainier, Maple Leaf neighborhood

Even as it snowed in some parts of the country, summer suddenly arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Mid-afternoon, the temperature was 81 F, but on the tiny, unshaded, dark-floored sundeck off our bedroom, it was probably in the mid-90s. I suddenly had compassion for roofers.

What would compel me to stand out there for 45 minutes? The opportunity to sketch Mt. Rainier (or at least half of it) from home. Although we do catch glimpses of it occasionally, usually in the early morning, more often a cloud cover or general haze prevents us from seeing much (it's easier to see in winter when the tree becomes invisible). The combination of a cloudless sky and very clean air (due to far fewer cars on the roads) brought us this view. (Edited 5/18/20: I turned this sketch into a short demo.)

Below is an unobstructed view from a few days earlier that I had caught at Maple Leaf Park (where I managed to sketch Rainier a few years ago). The park was more crowded that day than we felt comfortable with, so we didn't stay long, but we couldn't resist this viewpoint. 

Mt. Rainier from Maple Leaf Park

The next day when I was walking in the neighborhood, I stopped at a spot I knew would give me a good view of the Olympics when the sky is clear. The twin peaks at left are The Brothers.

Olympic Mountains