Is this rock called slate?? There is so much at this elevation and it sounds like broken glass when you walk on the smaller pieces. There are many walls built of this holding back much more of it. I can't imagine what it took to clear this trail. 2nd shot...As we get closer to the Mountain, Glacier Basin comes into view. It's the very green bowl at the base of the Mountain where there is a camp that many use before climbing to the top via the north route. There are 2 routes to the top of Mt. Rainier, this one is the least traveled of the two. Over 10,000 people attempt to summit each year, about half actually make it. This year there was only one climbing death...better than some of the other years.