At about 10;00 pm on August 15 2010, my friend and I had parked our car at Rainy pass trailhead to climb S. Early Winters Spire on the Hwy 20 summit.
we were headed up a climbers trail towards the base of the climb, and as we were about 100 yards from the base of the mountain we were looking up at our route (approximately 11:45 pm) we saw what looked like a persons old fashioned lantern on the W face of S. Early Winters spire, thinking it was a climbing party w and old fashioned lantern. (About 3-4 feet in diameter and glowing orange-yellowish). The "lantern" then slowly started moving to the left (north) along the vertical wall away from us. It slowly and steadily moved away and around the wall wrapping around the rock face until out of sight. (We stood and watched it for about five minutes until it had disappeared).
We then (cautiously!) began our ascent of the peak, reaching the summit right as the sun came up. I'll never forget that night as long as I live.
Ironically, about 10 years prior I had seen a orange orb almost identical in size and color that came towards us at night in Steilacoom Park in Lakewood WA, then vanished once it got close to Us.
