Originally Posted by Healthyhabit

My trip up the mountain was a lot of fun but I didn't lose a single
pound! In fact, I managed to gain one over the weekend. *sigh*
Oh well. Thats life.

My trip started at waking up around 4:30am to beat the Seattle traffic
down south and get to Mount Rainier's visitor center before the very
few parking spots filled up. The drive there was gorgeous and the
weather seemed absolutely perfect along the way.

Time for some mount rainier facts before I continue:

1. Mount Rainier is so big, it has three separate climate
zones, each with different flora and fauna and its large enough to
create its own weather.
2. Mount Rainier is an active volcano and has an elevation of
14,411 feet. That's really really high!
3. Mount Rainier is where the first Mount Everest training was done
due to the similar climates at the top.
4. Mount Rainier has some of the largest glaciers within the
contiguous 48 states.
5. Where I was hiking averages 630 inches of snowfall in a year and
the snow never melts away completely.
6. Every year thousands of people attempt a summit climb. Less than
half make it to the top.

That being said, I'd like to start out letting you all know that the
weather was indeed, incredible. There was a cloud layer on the upper
portion of the mountain all day and thats what I got to walk through!
There were places I was hiking where I couldn't see more than 6 or 7
feet ahead of me because the cloud was so thick. You could literally
wave through it and see it swirl. Even though the experience of
spending most of my day in a cloud was impressive, it meant that I
couldn't see much around me and there wasn't much to take for
pictures.

At 5800 feet in the meadows, the cloud mass was thin enough to see a
good 25-30 feet ahead. At 6200 feet that shortened to about 15-20
feet. At 7150 feet (about half way to the summit), the cloud was so
thick that I couldn't see far beyond my boots.

Overall, the hike kicked my butt. I was so stiff and tired afterwards!
I can't wait to go again. The plan is to make it to camp Muir (maybe
next spring) which is at 10,100 feet. If I can make it that far, the
summit is only a day's hike away. Woot!

I hear the fastest/easiest way down from the summit is to sit on your
but and slide down a glacier. Kinda scary when there are cracks in it
the size of mac trucks.

Ok... gotta figure out how to add the pics.

Pictures in order left to right:
1. Wildflowers are everywhere up there. At least until you hit higher than about 6500 feet.
2. Thats what the path looked like a lot. If the cloud were any denser, my camera wouldn't take a pic of anything focused.
3. I think there were about 6 Marmots along the way, including one baby. He was adorable!
4. Glacier meltoff. This is a chunk of glacier that has broken away from the terminus and is slowly sliding down the mountain. It makes the prettiest little brooks!
5. Notice the cloud sitting on the mountain? This picture was taken from the decent after walking through that high point thick with cloud.

It was fun!

- Sunny

Originally Posted by nataliejo

Hey Sunny!
That is so awesome! More the reason for me to go hiking more often. I just got back from a walk, only thirty minutes, but better than my usual twenty five. I am so happy you put pics up. Maybe someday I will be able to see a glacier. This looks to be so much fun hun! So awesome...thanks for the pics. My mom always gains weight after a hike. lol I dont know why, but tis true. Don't be concerned about gaining a pound after kicking your but going up a mtn.

wowser ..what a site

thanks for sharing pics hun ..and thanks for writing in my diary and believing in me ..I need all the support I can get ...

thanks hun

always
your friend
natalie jo

Originally Posted by Curvie Girlie

I don't get plateaus I hope something works!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by brideinwaiting

Sunny,

I just read your first three food diaries and I just want to tell you that you are doing such a great job! You've been eating healthy and staying strong. Congratulations on that!

Controlling my eating is probably the hardest for me, too. Once I get to the gym I'm good but eating.. I guess I could always do it

I'm glad you got back on the horse after the hamburger! I had In'n'Out the other night and I woke up and said, "I'm starting my diet NOW!"

What are your problem areas? I need to find a good exercise that gets rid of my back love handles and flattens my tummy. Know any?

Keep up the great work!

-Bride in Waiting

Originally Posted by hajni

HI,
I saw your question in my diary and thought to come here and look up yours to answer.
I had like a 3 week plateau. It was a combination of me slacking on my calorie tracking and not exercising hard enough. I invested into an HRM and made sure during cardio my heart rate is around 140-150 the whole time. Also upped my exercise (mainly cardio) to 6 days a week and to twice a day. Based on my HRM i exercised until I reached 600-750 cal loss/day. (about a good hr exercise)This is what helped me out of my plateau. My food was around 1500-1600 a day, I think I am around 1400-1500 now more closer to 1400. I know I saw a tread or article somewhere on plateaus but i can't remember where. Sorry .
Of course I am no expert, and I am not even sure the above is the right way ... It worked for me.
Hope you brake through it soon!! It almost killed my motivation, but don't let it get you down it just another curve-ball that you will over-come and come out stronger!!!
Hajni

Originally Posted by Healthyhabit

Wow, so you really had to bump up the overall deficit to get past the plateau?

- Sunny