The quoted poem suggests one of the great treats of climbing Rainier: an unobstructed view of clouds, sunrise, sunset, stars, moon rise, moon set and lights of the cities below while at high camp and during the pre-sunrise hours of the ascent.

The following morning, at the appointed departure time of 1:00am, a number of people decided to stay at the Camp Schurman high camp rather than climb; perhaps the climb from 4,400 feet at the White River campground to the 9,700 foot elevation of Camp Schurman convinced them they did not want to undertake the 4,700 foot climb to the summit followed by a 10,000 foot descent to the cars. I recall one of the party was a former math professor of mine; he spent the night chatting with his tent mate about mathematics until someone suggested that others would like to get some sleep. He and his tent mate decided not to make the climb. We completed it without difficulty or excitement.