Maxwell Reister reporting from Mt. Rainier

Trees and mountains are some of my favorite things, but they certainly make it difficult to get internet access (hence the delay of my first posting). My first night was a restful one, courtesy of the National Park Service's researcher housing at the Nisqually Entrance to Mt Rainier. Jason Williams, an environmental engineering grad student at WSU, met me at the housing and introduced me to his research assistants Camden Nix and Mikell Bova. Williams and his assistants are studying the effects of nitrogen deposition on alpine lake systems as part of the National Science Foundation's Nitrogen Systems Policy-Oriented Integrated Research & Education (NSPIRE). For each testing location, they have to pack in three hiking backpacks full of testing equipment including an inflatable two-man watercraft in addition to their personal camping gear.
The next day we were joined by Tonnie Cummings, a regional air resources specialist with the NPS. We hiked to Lake Allen, two miles and three thousand feet of elevation gain from our car. A piece of necessary testing equipment was misplaced and two members of the group selflessly volunteered to hike back down the hill and return with it in record time. The team enjoyed a partly sunny day at the lake and undampened spirits despite the junglesque moisture level. I interviewed Tonnie with the lake as a background and thanked the journalistic gods for the better-than-studio surroundings. I was slightly worried about moisture getting to my sensitive electronic equipment but plastic baggies kept everything safe. 

Today is an off-day, with a trip to the big city of Elbe (pop. very few), cleaning equipment, and relaxation being the focus. Next up: Hidden Lake