Rainier Whereisit?

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beautiful spot! how long is the hike to get there, and is it suitable for a somewhat wheezy, almost-60 photog, or is it best left to spry youngsters with strong legs?
 
OK, I've found out a bit more...

First of all, here's the location:
The reflecting pool is just a couple of hundred yards west of the Pinnacle-Plummer saddle.
Click to expand...

The photo everyone is most familiar with is by Art Wolfe.

I also confirmed something I wondered about when I saw the photo I referenced above. Notice how the water is flowing through the grass in the center? It turns out that this isn't really a "tarn", but rather a large snowmelt puddle. Once the snowmelt is done, so is the "lake" and the location isn't that impressive.

Access is indeed from near Reflection Lake. The trail is a bit over a mile, and you gain 1100 feet in elevation during the climb. It sounds like it's an easy trail, not a technical climb, though the elevation gain and altitude (6000 feet at the saddle) will be a definite factor, especially for those of us who live in seattle and measure our normal altitude in double digits.
 
From Experience Washington:

The trail begins with a gradual ascent but soon becomes, and remains, a steep climb to the 5,920 foot saddle where the trail ends. Hiking boots are recommended since this trail has either a snow or loose rock surface all summer. From the saddle to the top of Pinnacle Peak is a precipitous scramble on loose, unstable rock. Hikers wishing to get to the top should use extreme caution and have proper equipment.

Pinnacle Peak Trail is a moderately difficult, 2 1/2 mile round-trip hike gaining 1,055 feet with a high point of 5,920 feet. Allow two hours to complete. The trail is accessible mid-July through October. Drive east either from Longmire or Paradise on the Stevens Canyon Road to the parking area at Reflection Lakes. The trailhead is on the south side of the road.
 
BobH said:
.....It sounds like it's an easy trail, not a technical climb, though the elevation gain and altitude (6000 feet at the saddle) will be a definite factor, especially for those of us who live in seattle and measure our normal altitude in double digits.
Click to expand...

A thousand feet elevation gain per mile is a pretty good climb. But it is a relatively short distance. Looks like the shot in the URL was a late afternoon/evening shot, so no hiking in the dark to get there for an AM shoot.
 
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