Monday I hiked up part of Mt Rainier with a friend who is a professor of political science at Corvinus University in Budapest. He'd just finished his first tour of the US as part of a larger international delegation of academics, journalists and parliamentarians, sponsored by the State Department, and wanted to see some mountains--something they don't really have in Hungary.
Luckily for us, Professor Sherman has been teaching a course on the mountain this summer, complete with regular hikes, and he recommended a trail that was not too strenuous for the non-athletic like myself. We were rewarded with some wonderful views and had the place almost entirely to ourselves (except the mosquitos). If you're in town, student or alum, a quick side trip to Rainier is worth it.
