Some partners are more photogenic than others, but few achieve true Super Stardome in front of the lens. Glacier glasses and a continually averted gaze prevented my being blinded by the brilliance of Kevin’s apotheosis during our ascents of Eldorado and Dorado Needle.
This trip seemed to coincide with some kind of wildlife harmonic convergence. First, we spotted a spotted owl alongside the Cascade River Road. Once on the approach, we then witnessed this shameless display:
Whorey Marmots (Marmota caligata)
On the way up the Eldo Creek talus field, we picked, or pika’ed, up a third:
A pika (Ochotona princeps) peekin’ out
Steppin’ out
Stakin’ a claim
The final attack
Forbidden Peak
Approaching Eldorado
“Do these gaitors make me look fat?” Eldorado summit
Eldorado summit
After scampering up Eldorado, we continued on to Inspiration Col.
Inspiration Glacier
Tepeh Towers
Inspiration Col
Sundog from Inspiration Col
A visitor came in the night:
The taste: a bushy tailed wood rat (Neotoma cinerea) samples one of my brand new Fred Meyer poles
The grab
Praying to it
Night Visit
An impressive dump of new snow and a sky full of lenticulars convinced us to shorten the Dorado Needle ascent to the dog route.
Dorado Needle summit
Dorado Needle summit
Coming off of Dorado Needle
Climbers on Eldorado
Horntail Wood Wasp (uroceros spp.) Inspiration Glacier
Gear Notes: Hanta virus vaccine, someone else's ski poles
