With Friday’s warmup complete and celebrated around the campfire, we took our rest and woke Saturday ready to embark on our primary weekend goal: The Brothers.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day to make our attempt - amazingly clear sky, such that we could see not only Mt. Rainier, but Mt. Adams and Mt. Saint Helens as well. From ~6,000 feet, we could see Seattle’s downtown on the puget sound, looking like a small anthill when sharing the horizon with Rainier, Adams, the Cascades and St Helens.
About a half mile and under 1000 feet from the summit, we paused for lunch and to allow a large group to descend past us safely. As they passed, they told us of the remaining trail and conditions - which included an earlier rock slide that left their leader’s helmet dented and the rest of the group sheepish. In considering their reports along with the time and the limited water, we made the wise, albeit somewhat disappointing, decision to turn around.
Avid readers of our blog and friends who have heard the story too many times may recall a similar post last year, when we initially attempted The Brothers. This was our second attempt, having made it farther than last time, but again stopping short of the peak. While we’re not planning to make it an annual event, we are indeed hoping that the third time will be the charm!
