Thanks for sharing. When did you do this? I read recently that Rainier is becoming the new Everest with lots of climbers and the dangers from those who come unprepared. I did not climb in a mountaineering sense, but I did get to the Everest base camp area at 18,000 ft. Sleeping at 16,000 was just impossible, and I was acclimatized by over two weeks of climbing. I love the metaphor of ascending mountains. Cheers