As the trail neared the top of the climb, it ran along a ridge that had been clearcut. The climb crested just below the peak of Blowout Mountain, then finally began to descend toward Green Pass.
When I reached the pass, I saw that Ricky Bobby was camped there. He was with a hiker named Jinx.
I had originally planned to camp at a spot that was another 1.7 miles up the trail, but there was plenty of room for me, so I decided to stop for the night.
Later, after I crawled into my tent for the night, I spent some time looking for and patching holes in the ceiling. I kept finding more, and it seemed my tent was quickly nearing the end of its lifespan. I was beginning to doubt it would hold together in one piece through the end of this hike.
The opportunities to see Mt. Rainier today were remarkable. The sky remained clear all day and the trail offered many open views.
Washington weather can be fickle. Residents will tell you the mountain is often only visible for short periods of time and rarely all day long. Seeing it so clearly and frequently today was special.