This weekend has been a very warm one here in the Pacific Northwest! 97 degrees! Wow. We went from winter to scorching summer in one week. To cool down a bit we decided to go up to Crystal Mountain hoping for cooler temperatures and enjoy the stunning view of Mt. Rainier. During the winter Crystal Mountain is a Ski Resort. There are three villas and a couple of restaurants, three or more ski lifts that take you to different areas of the mountain and a really nice Gondola that takes you all the way to the top where you can become breathless by the stunning view of “The Mountain.” One of the restaurants is up there and you get to have lunch or dinner with the view. In addition there are a lot of hiking trails you can enjoy and you can even go around Crystal Mountain if you are on the adventurous side but you need a special permit for that particular adventure. Accessing the area is free unless you are going to use the lifts for skiing or the Gondola. The Gondola is $23.00 for adults.

We have visited Crystal Mountain a couple of time before and every time we would take the Gondola to see Rainier it was foggy. The Gondola takes you at over 7,000 feet so yes fog and clouds happens. This time as the weather was so clear and it was so warm we were able to enjoy Mother Nature’s show and not only see Rainier but also 4 additional picks. It was amazing.

Here are the sketches I was able to complete;

This is part of the view in which you are able to see Mt. Adams, St. Helens and a part of Mt. Rainier

Mt. Rainier 

A Cabin by one of the Ski lifts

If you visit the Pacific Northwest on a gorgeous day and feel like going up to the mountains this is a great place to visit!

Happy Sketching,

Daisy