Dege Peak — Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025

I didn't realize what a gem Dege Peak is. Today I wanted to see the sunrise from a mountain but didn't have as much energy as usual, so instead of Burroughs or Fremont, I headed up Dege (my first time). The panoramic view was something of a revelation and gave me a new perspective on many familiar sights. For example, from Dege the three Burroughs Mountains line up in a tidy row, like steps leading to Rainier. And it gives views of the lush parks between the nearby peaks, including a clear view of Grand Park.

I arrived well before sunrise and set up my camera on a tripod, intending to do a time-lapse view of the morning light hitting Rainier. But I messed that up, and also found it wasn't as interesting as the light playing on other geography I was seeing for the first time or from a new angle.

At the time of the sunrise, I was one of 6 people at the summit. Two had hiked from Sunrise Point. Another said she was there specifically to avoid the crowd at Mt. Fremont (though Dege can't accommodate nearly as many as Fremont, so it's good that not everybody made the same choice). She was also the first person I'd ever heard say the name "Dege." I always read it as "DEJ," but apparently it's "DEG-AY." Good to know!