Backbone Ridge Exhibit Panel

The views from Backbone Ridge have been partially obscured by tall trees.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Approx. 6 miles west of Stevens Canyon Entrance along Stevens Canyon Road.

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Title: Weather-Maker

Main Text
Towering above the surrounding terrain like an island in the clouds, Mount Rainier creates its own weather. A cloud on the summit may appear harmless from this perspective, but it is probably lashing climbers with an intense, localized blizzard. At other times the pattern may be reversed: halfway up the mountain, climbers may be emerging from dense mist into a glittering world of sunlit ice. 

If the mountain is temporarily hidden from this overlook, then you have simply become part of its stormy dynamics. Mount Rainier not only creates its own world of weather, but dictates the habitats around it: the dripping moss of the Carbon River rainforest, the massive glaciers, and the rain-shadow that leaves the Sunrise area to the east much drier than the rest of the park. 

Secondary Text
This close to Puget Sound and the Pacific, Mount Rainier is a magnet for moisture-laden storm fronts. With its huge mass and elevation, the mountain forces the air to rise steeply. As it rises, it cools and percipitates heavily, often in record-breaking snowfalls on the slopes around Paradise. 

Exhibit Panel Description
A single photo of a glaciated mountain peak rising above forested lower slopes fills the exhibit panel. The top of the mountain is wrapped in smooth lenticular clouds. The text forms a row across the top third of the panel. A quote in the bottom right corner of the panel reads: "The weather on Rainier can reach a severity equal to that of the highest mountain in the world... Jim Whittaker, former Rainier guide and first American to climb Mount Everest". A small box in the lower left corner of the panel reads "User Fee Project. Your Fee Dollars at Work. Entrance fees were used to produce this exhibit".

Visit This Exhibit Panel
The Backbone Ridge exhibit panel is located at the Backbone Ridge pullout and picnic area, approximately 6 miles west of Stevens Canyon Entrance along Stevens Canyon Road. Stevens Canyon Road is open during the summer season, typically June-September.