But, by the time we'd reached treeline, the clouds seemed to be parting.
As we climbed, it just got better and better - sun, with a light wind (lower down at least), and not really very cold.
However, we could see, from the artful cloud trails streaming off the summit rim, that winds aloft were going pretty good.
As we climbed higher, it became apparent that the clouds weren't parting so much as we were getting above them. It's always pretty cool to look down on the clouds without benefit of a plane.
Hood was hidden by clouds, but Adams was visible, wearing an impressive lenticular.
We kept on to the rim,
and reached it at a point which was pretty wind-free. From there, we had an excellent view of the crater walls and Rainier (with an impressive snow plume trailing from its summit),
and of the Lava Dome, giving off wisps of steam.
After photos and a snack, we headed down.
The weather, which had been optimal on the way up, finally decided to take a turn for the worse when we got to 3000', at which point it started snowing and, further down, raining lightly. The trudge down Swift Creek was a slightly soggy one - but better to have happened on the way out than on the climb up. Excellent day (10 mi RT, 5500' EG).
