Emmons-Winthrop Update 6/30/2025

Sunset over Curtis Ridge from Camp Schurman

Sunshine and warm weather returned to the mountain over the final weekend of June after a week of cooler temps and light precipitation. It was a busy weekend here at camp Schurman and many teams were able to take advantage of the great weather and find success on the Emmons-Winthrop route.

Warm weather and long sunshine of high summer change the mountain daily, so today's route beta may be tomorrow's dead end. Climbers who attempt the Emmons-Winthrop route should come prepared for an unmaintained, wilderness glacier route which requires diligent navigation, careful crevasse-bridge assessment, and self-sufficiency in a remote, alpine environment. 

The trail from White River campground is 99% snow free to Glacier Basin and above till reaching the Inter Glacier near 6800'. Travel up the Inter is mostly snow and no crevasses have appeared yet along the standard boot pack. 

Steep, loose dirt and rock crossing the moraine from Camp Curtis to the Emmons Glacier below Camp Schurman (6/30/25)

The final step of the moraine before getting on the Emmons Glacier (6/30/25)

 

Accessing the Emmons Glacier from Camp Curtis has become increasingly difficult now that the moraine is mostly snow free, exposing steep, loose rock and dirt. Teams should be prepared to slow down through here, coordinate with other groups moving through this bottleneck, and watch for rockfall. Some teams have opted to use hip belays in the steeper sections of the trail here, however there are no good rock anchors to rely on. As a reminder, after crossing the moraine the final approach to camp Schurman is on the Emmons Glacier and climbers are encouraged to rope up for glacier travel. The boot pack crosses over several crevasses between the moraine and camp. 

Approximate path of the Emmons-Winthrop Route 6/30/25 some extra switchbacks may be encountered

As of 6/30/25, the route remains in good condition and follows generally the same path as it has for the last couple weeks. The route has seen the most change between 11,400' and 13,000' as crevasses open and re-routing of the backpack occurs. This has led to several old, but well-established boot packs existing in this section that lead to dead-ends or less ideal crevasse-bridge crossings. Pay close attention through this zone and record a GPS track on your way up that you can follow back down to avoid wrong turns. When in doubt it, teams have reported that taking the lower boot pack option has been more successful if multiple trails are present. 

Widening crevasse near 12,400'. The boot pack may or may not be the best place to cross when you encounter it (6/28/25).

Teams are encouraged to evaluate each crevasse crossing they encounter along the boot pack as often there is a much better place to cross just downhill or uphill of where the established boot pack is. In some cases, the crevasse may be end run entirely just a short distance from the boot pack so be sure to look around instead of blindly following the trail. Bridges that may have been solid in the AM can often be unreliable by midday after the sun and heat has softened the snow up, so teams should make a plan to be down early and stick to preset turnaround times. 

Large serac fall in the gut of the upper Winthrop glacier. The route traverses above this to/from the Liberty Saddle (6/28/25).

Don't forget to pay the climbing cost recovery fee and check in out our wilderness information centers at Paradise or White River entrance to receive your climbing permit in person. This is a great time of year to be on the mountain with long days and pleasant weather, we look forward to seeing you up here!

Also, check out our last couple blogs on the Emmons for additional info. 

Disappointment Cleaver 6/25/2025

 Overview

With the Summer Solstice now past us, climbers on the mountain were greeted with a small storm over the last weekend. What a way to start summer with fresh snow at Camp Muir! 

New snow has since melted and climbers have since found good weather windows in their itineraries to attempt a summit. We are still in a transitional period here at Mount Rainier and any type of conditions can exist at any time. Always be prepared for wintery conditions even if just day hiking up the snowfield. Main hazards associated with this time of year include:

- Rapidly changing and unpredicted weather including winter snowstorms

- Overhead hazard from rock and serac fall

- Thinning snow-bridges over crevasses

Disappointment Cleaver Route

View of Ingraham Flats and the DC 6/24/25

Hiking to Camp Muir:

On the way up from Paradise, please stick to the summer trail if it is melted out/snow free. If the trail is still buried, please follow NPS wands (markers) through the snow until gaining sections of melted trail. Please avoid trampling the fragile alpine wildflowers and vegetation. 

The Muir Snowfield itself is starting its transition to a summer texture with suncups lining the entirety of its length. Skiers take note, do not expect smooth snow surface conditions if skiing/riding from Camp Muir. 

Always be prepared to navigate to/from Muir in wintery whiteout conditions.

Above Camp Muir:

The National Park Service does not maintain the route; however, guide services on Mount Rainier do significant route-work and keep it well-marked with reflective wands. Thank a guide for their hard work! Several areas along the DC route have significant exposure to overhead rock and icefall hazard. Remember, if you look up and something can come down on top of your team, do not take a break there. Continue moving until no overhead hazard exists. 

Above Ingraham Flats camp, local guide services rerouted High Crack to a more "classic" ascent. The route moves further climbers left of the old track and crosses higher on the slope then diagonals over through the ice box. Gaining entrance to the cleaver is still straight forward, though can always be a bottleneck if teams are traveling close together. The DC itself is fully melted out and teams should be expecting to travel on rocks to the top. 

View of the cleaver entrance after navigating through High Crack

Track of the route as of 6/24/25

Above the DC, the route remains fairly "direct" switch backing up to the crater rim. 

There are currently no ladders on the route. Remember, the mountain is a very dynamic environment and changes to the "route" can happen within hours. Guide services anticipate a ladder to be placed at the 12,800 crevasse when necessary. There are several pickets on the upper mountain that are maintained by guides. Use this running protection at your own discretion and please do not remove the carabiners or equipment. Complex crevasses exist throughout the route with snow-bridges to navigate through. If climbing/descending in high freezing levels or warm afternoon temperatures, be observant for any snow-bridge sagging or significant changes in route conditions. 

Skiing on the upper mountain would be quite bad due to surface conditions. Penitentes are peppering upper slopes and make holding an edge extremely difficult. A fall would be consequential due to exposure and crevasse openings. 

Kautz Report from an independent party:

The main Kautz Ice Chute has sections of bare, exposed ice up to potentially 2 full vertical pitches. Expect traveling through large penitentes after the rock step and throughout. Parties should be carrying ice screws with them for protection. 

Views of the Kautz Ice Chute. Pictures from an independent party with permission to share.

Remember, Mount Rainier is a dynamic environment and can host winter storms any time of year. Always check the weather forecast before your climb and never completely rule out the possibility of severe weather/winds affecting your climb. 

Additional Information

- The Public Shelter at Camp Muir will be closed for maintenance improvements from July 7 - September 30 2025. The shelter will remain available for emergency use only. Climbers camping at Muir should plan on bringing and sleeping in tents at Muir after July 7. 

- Remember to Leave No Trace throughout your entire visit to Mount Rainier National Park.

- A climbing permit and payment of the annual climbing fee are required to climb Mount Rainier. More information can be found on Mount Rainier National Parks Website. The Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC) is open for the season with hours of operation between 7:30am - 5pm.

Emmons Update 6/25/25

 

The trail to glacier basin is mostly snow free with a few patches of stubborn snow the final mile. Above glacier basin there are various boot packs up the inter glacier to Camp Curtis. The Inter Glacier still has decent snow coverage from the winter on 6/22, however the surface condition has become very sun cupped and would be highly challenging to navigate on skis. There are a few open moats around the various nunataks, but no open crevasses were observed. Rangers have observed a variety of strategies that parties take to access camp Schurman from the Inter Glacier. Pertinent notes for navigating this portion would include staying clear of overhead hazard from rocks and navigating through broken glaciated terrain. 

Emmons Glacier below camp 6/22/25

Although there is a well-established boot pack on a majority of the route climbers are encouraged to evaluate changing conditions and deteriorating snow bridges and make their own decisions on the best/safest path when necessary. There are a few points on the route where the well-trodden "path" crosses a marginal snow bridge. Safer crossings can be found by looking around to a less traveled area where a more robust bridge can be utilized or a crevasse can be end run. 

Crevasse at 12,400' 6/22/25

We are still seeing independent climbers bringing skis to the upper mountain on the Emmons - when we talked with these parties on the route and back at Schurman many skiers used terms such as "bad skiing", "rugged", and "highly variable" when describing their descent. Many also reported carrying their equipment back down the mountain a distance before reaching a point they wanted to ski/board from. Further, rangers repeatedly observed riders get off their intended descent route at ~12,000ft landing them well above the corridor in broken and crevassed terrain. 

While we are almost into July here in the park weather is ever dynamic, always consult weather in the planning phase as well as your climb. Weather resources can be found here. 

Ptarmagin Ridge 6/19/25

Multiple parties have made attempts on Ptarmigan Ridge over the past few weeks with only one successful climb. Photos taken on 6/19/25 show an overview of the area and current snow and ice coverage on the route. 

These photographs were taken by an independent party of 3 that opted not to climb due to the current conditions on the route 

Emmons Update 6/18

 

The Emmons Winthrop route is still in good shape and has seen many successful ascents and descents in the past week. 

The trail to glacier basin is mostly snow free with a few patches of stubborn snow the final mile before. Above glacier basin there are various boot packs up the inter glacier to Camp Curtis. The Inter Glacier still has decent snow coverage from the winter with on fern ice on 6/18. There are a few open moats around the various nunataks, but no open crevasses were observed.

Looking up at the Inter Glacier from the moraine above glacier basin

A route to the Summit on 6/14/25

Although there is a well-established boot pack on a majority of the route climbers are encouraged to evaluate changing conditions and deteriorating snow bridges and make their own decisions on the best/safest path when necessary. There are a few points on the route where the well-trodden "path" crosses a marginal snow bridge. Safer crossings can be found by looking around to a less traveled area where a more robust bridge can be utilized or a crevasse can be end run. 

Crevasses at 11,400' - 6/14/2025

This last weekend we saw many descents by skiers and split boarders. When we talked with these parties on the route and back at Schurman many skiers used terms such as "bad skiing", "rugged", and "highly variable" when describing their descent. Many also reported carrying their equipment back down the mountain a distance before reaching a point they wanted to ski/board from. Further, rangers repeatedly observed riders get off their intended descent route at ~12,000ft landing them well above the corridor in broken and crevassed terrain. 

Boot pack at 13,400 - 6/14/2025

Overview of the Emmons route from Camp Schurman - 6/14/2025

If you are planning for a ski/board descent of the Emmons come prepared for variable surface conditions consisting of, sun cups, Penitentes, ice, and Sastrugi. If you are expecting planer surfaces and good corn skiing on the upper mountain you may be disappointed and find yourself in more challenging conditions. Carful route-finding is even more paramount when descending on skis due to the faster speed at which riders encounter terrain and a lack or rope to arrest a fall. 

If your team is planning on un-roping and riding down the mountain be thinking about your rope strategy... If you only have one rope for the team and the person who is carrying the rope falls into a crevasse, what is your plan?? 

North Side Photos and Route Info

The north side of Rainier 6/17/25

Climbing traffic has slowed down on the north side routes of Rainier over the last week due to changing route conditions and difficulty accessing some routes.

Liberty Ridge: Climbers have reported bailing from the approach to Liberty Ridge in recent days after having difficulty accessing the ridge from the Carbon glacier. Parties have reported a lack of adequate snow coverage on Liberty Ridge, which is typical for late June. Navigating the upper Carbon glacier has been difficult as well, with numerous open crevasses, necessitating circuitous travel.

Ptarmigan Ridge: Parties were successful on Ptarmigan in early June. There have been no reports of successful summits on this route over the last two weeks. Note that Ptarmigan ridge must be accessed from the White River campground this year due to the Mowich lake road closure. 

 Liberty Ridge (left) and Ptarmigan Ridge (center) on 6/17/25