Great report!
I like this statement: "As one climbs up, you quickly realize this is no ordinary Fourteener. It is a huge mountain,...."
It is one big beautiful mountain.
Rainier is one of those "gotta do" mountains, and well worth climbing. You noted seeing unprepared climbers on the mountain - it's a shame they didn't go guided instead of heading up that mountain the way they did. People don't realize how great a learning experience a guided climb can be, and how much safer it is to go that way unless you have experienced people on your team. Crevasse rescue is a skill that requires a lot of practice. I got a quick lesson in it once, and I know I'd be useless in a rescue situation even if I had the pulley system and other gear.
