I was smitten the first time I set eyes on Mt. Stuart, probably 30 years ago, and my infatuation with her has not diminished over the years.I really can’t say why she captured my heart. There are other peaks in Washington that are much higher. Where Mt. Stuart reaches 9,415 feet into the sky, Mt. Rainier has an elevation of 14,410, Mt. Adams 12,276, and Mt. Baker 10,778. And there are peaks that have had a more tangible impact on me: In 1980 when we lived in Yakima and Mt. St. Helens erupted, we wound up with several inches of volcanic ash on the roof of our house, which was up for sale at the time. Believe me, hundreds of pounds of sand on one’s roof does little to increase salability.
Still, it is Mt. Stuart that I visit again and again. I’ve made pilgrimages to her from the north and from the south. I’ve made photographs from her lower slopes and from her summit, in black and white and in color, at all seasons of the year. Some of the pictures I’ve taken of her are quite nice, but none even begin to do her justice.
I hiked near Mt. Stuart again last weekend -- for some reason I’m particularly drawn to her around Thanksgiving -- and made the photograph you see above. It’s a very average picture of her; it felt like there was more potential in the scene that day than what I was able to capture. And so I will go back, hopefully for another 30 years, and each time I will look at her fondly.
I know I’m not worthy.
