Mount Rainier Climbing

Weekend Conditions January 27-29

2012-01-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Weather conditions for this weekend are looking fair. Snow and rain showers are expected to return to the area Saturday night. In the meantime expect some chilling winds and blue sky.

The mountain is as dangerous as it is beautiful, start early, come prepared.

Don't forget to register if you are camping or going above 10,000 ft. Help us help you.

Weekend Conditions Januray 20-22

2012-01-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

Inclement weather continues here on the mountain complete with park wide closures yesterday, today, and possibly tomororw.
Before you leave home check out:
Park and Park Road Closures
The Weather
Avalanche Conditions
Dont Forget:
The 10 essentials. They saved some lives this week
Tire chains (they are required see previous post)
If in doubt there is always another day to come play. Stay warm!

MLK Day Weekend

2012-01-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

A storm cycle moving through the northwest over the MLK Day weekend will bring some much-needed powder to the slopes of Mount Rainier. The park was reopened to the public on the 6th of January following a terrible tragedy. Registration and climbing passes can be acquired at Paradise before heading out. Because there is no climbing ranger on-duty to help climbers through the registration process, please take a moment to read the registration rules here. Also, be prepared for severe winter weather. We offer a list of online resources here.

We hope you have a great holiday weekend - see you on the slopes!

Loss of a Friend

2012-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Day Mount Rainier lost a friend. The climbing community's hearts and thoughts are with the Anderson family. The park will be closed at least through Friday, January 6th. Please see the national park's website for further details .

Pangbuk Ri

2011-11-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

Lead climbing ranger David Gottlieb and friend/former climbing ranger/Pacific Northwest hard-man Chad Kellogg put up a harrowing, spectacular, and unprecedented ascent of Pangbuk Ri in Nepal (pictured to the right). Starting their climb early on 10/10/11, they summitted and returned to basecamp in an epic 50 hour push.
Read the full trip-report on Chad's blog here, and see some awesome photos and short video from David's blog here.

With decent weather over the long weekend, lots of backcountry snow enthusiasts were out playing. The NWAA (Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center) started posting updates, check them out here.
Have a safe and inspirational holiday season!

Tire Chains - Remember this winter!

2011-11-17T07:45:00.001-08:00

The regulations at the park have changed over this last summer to be consistent with WA State mountain pass chain requirements. Here's the deal simply stated: You need to have chains in your car when you come into the park - even if you don't use them and the posted restriction is "snow tires advised". The reason for this is that the road conditions rapidly change during a snow event. So even if you drove to Paradise in the sunshine, when you leave there may be 6 inches of snow on the road. And if you have a 4x4, remember that actual tire restriction is "Tire Chains Required - 4 Wheel Drive with approved traction tires OK - 4 Wheel drives must carry chains". This carry chain requirement for 4 wheel drive vehicles is likely to be enforced at chain-up stations. Here's the tire restriction FAQ off the NPS.GOV website. Tire Chain Requirement - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Rainier National Park Tire Chain Requirement:
All vehicles are required to carry tire chains when traceling in the park during the winter season (November 1 - May 1). This requirement applies to all vehicles (including four-wheel-drive), regardless of tire type or weather conditions.

Tire Chain Requirement Frequently Asked Questions

Where and when do I need to carry tire chains?	Between November 1 and May 1, all vehicles in Mount Rainier National Park are requuired to carry tire chains. This requirement applies to all vehicle types in all weather and road conditions.
What about sunny days?	The chain requirement applies to all vehicles and all days between November 1 and May 1, regardless of weather and road conditions. Weather in the park is notoriously quick to change, and sudden storms can appear with little or no warnng.
Why do I need to carry tire chains?	A set of chains in every vehicle means that every vehicle is prepared and equipped for changing winter weather conditions. Drifting snow and whiteout conditions can occur at any time. Having chains available in the event of a storm will give each driver an extra margin of safety, allowing the road to remain open longer even when conditions are changing.
What if my owner's manual tells me not to install tire chains?	The requirement to carry tire chains applies to all vehicles, regardless of make or model. Vehicle manufacturers that caution against traditional metal tire chains (e.g. Subaru) do market cable chains that are specifically made for their vehicles. Cable chains can be a good option for vehicles with limited tire clearance.
What if I have a rental car?	Tire chains are required on all vehicles taveling in the park, including rental cars. However, some stores may accept returns of unused chains.
I have a 4-wheel or all-drive car- do I still need to have chains?	Yes. Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles must carry chains. While vehicles with all-wheel-drive capability and approved traction tires do have enhanced traction, during the most extreme conditions this not sufficient for safe vehicle operation. Chains provide optimal traction in the most challenging road conditions. Mount Rainier National Park requirements are similar to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 204-24-050, which states that, for vehicles under 10,000 gross vehicle weight: "When "chains required" signs are posted, all wheel drive vehicles shall be exempt from the chain requirement when all wheels are in gear and are equipped with approved traction devices as specified in WAC 204-24-020 provided that tire chains for at least one set of drive tires are carried in the vehicle."
Washington State Law does not require motorists to carry tire chains over the major mountain passes- why is it different here?	During extreme weather conditions, Washington state does require chains, even on all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles, as noted above. In addition, Mount Rainier's roads are unlike most of Washington's in a variety of ways. At 5,400 feet above sea level Paradise is significantly higher in elevation than most of Washington's highway passes and roads. Furthermore, Mount Rainier's roads are scenic park access roads and are not intended to be as wide or have as many safety pullouts as a state highway.
Is there anything I can use instead of chains?	Cable chains are typically thinner and lighter than traditional tire chains and may be more easily installed. We recommend checking with your local mechanic or tire store.
Is there anywhere I can rent/buy chains?	Tire and auto parts stores normally carry tire chains. Purchase chains from a business in your local community and practice installing them before you come to the park. Tire chains are available for rent at: Whittaker Mountaineering 30027 State Route 706 E Ashford, WA 98304 (360) 569-2142 whittakermountaineering.com Several Ashford stores carry chains in limited sizes: Ashford Valley Grocery 29716 State Route 706 E Ashford, WA 98304 (360) 569-2560 Suver's General Store (SUV and Truck sizes) 30402 State Route 706 E Ashford, WA 98304 (360) 569-2377 Chains are also available in Eatonville and Morton: Eatonville Auto Parts- Napa 105 Center Street East Eatonville, WA 98328 (360) 832-6272 Ed's Mortan Auto Parts- Napa 184 W Main Street Morton, WA 98356 (360) 496-5141
Practice & Safety Suggestions	Before coming to the park try out the chains on your vehicle to ensure they fit. Practice chaining up at home, were it's dry, which will save time in cold and wet conditions. Ensure your vehicle is in park and the parking brake is set before working around the wheels.

Winter is here

2011-11-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that Winter is upon us at the high camps. New snow, rime and ice have accumulated over the past few weeks during several minor storm cycles. A few parties a week are still striking out for the summit. Shorter days, icy conditions and cold temps are keeping the summit percentage low.

Right now it is super icy at Camp Muir and on the Muir Snowfield. Boilerplate ice laid bare by winds covers large stretches of the Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier. In other areas the hard ice is buried under just a few inches of snow. There aren't many times that one wants a pair of crampons just to get up to Camp Muir, but this is one of 'em .

Skiing/boarding is pretty good on the lower Muir Snowfield (see snowfield conditions) but above Camp Muir it is not looking so good.

Posts are less frequent during these winter months. Be sure to check out the weather and avalanche conditions when planning a trip to the mountain this winter. Also, regulations for climber registration change, roads will close, and visitor center hours switch as the park prepares for winter. Check out the links to keep current.

The roadgate at Longmire closes each evening (at 6pm) and reopens each morning after the Road Crew has finished its prep. We have an excellent crew who do their best to keep the road passable, but there will be a handful of days this winter when conditions are so bad the road to Paradise will not open.

Cone on up and enjoy our early winter!

Fall in the Park

2011-10-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

A handful of climbers every week are still attempting summits. and while the challenges of colder weather, shorter days and thin snowbridges make travel a bit more difficult, some are still making it to the top.

Posts will become less frequent during these winter months. Be sure to check out the weather and avalanche conditions when planning a trip to the mountain this winter. Also, regulations for climber registration change, roads will close, and visitor center hours switch as the park prepares for winter. Check out the links to keep current.

Beginning on November 1st the road gate at Longmire will be closed each evening (at 6pm) and the road will be opened again each morning after the Road Crew has finished its prep. We have an excellent crew who do their best to keep the road passable, but there will be a handful of days this winter when conditions are so bad the road to Paradise will not open.

Have a fun and safe winter!

First Autumn Snow

2011-09-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Autumn at Mount Rainier, especially in the alpine and subalpine zones, does not last long. In fact, some argue whether it exists at all. Camp Muir had beach-like weather last Thursday; by the next night there was 70 mph gusts slinging fresh snow into climber's tents. Summer conditions to winter conditions in less than 24 hours.

Last weekend about 2" of melted precipitation dropped on the mountain. This caused drifts of snow "knee to mid-thigh" deep on the climbing routes. Snow and high winds can make navigation, especially on the upper mountain, difficult. Be sure to have a solid navigation technique, whether it's using a GPS or map/compass/altimeter, before venturing onto the mountain.

The high winds associated with the storm cycle resulted in poor skiing conditions. Some leeward locations have loosely wind packed freshies, while other windward locations are scoured, grit-covered, hardpack. Though the skiing hasn't become great, the climbing conditions have held out! The lower freezing levels have solidified the sketchier crevasse crossings and the feshly plastered snow has kept loose rock in place.

This upcoming weekend, September 24th and 25th, will be the last weekend that the Climbing Information Center in Paradise is open. Please come on by to chat, chill, and register. We'll be open from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. After this weekend climbers can self-register in Paradise at the self-registration kiosk on the porch of the Paradise Old Station (the small A-frame right next to the toilet tunnel in the upper parking lot). Directions on how to self-register are posted.

Fall Helicopter Flights

2011-09-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

The days where climbing rangers "dig deep" have finally arrived. It's time for the fall flights, where all of the human waste accumulated at both high camps, and in blue bags around the mountain, is removed. Propane tanks, construction materials, and rescue equipment are also flown around the mountain and staged for the winter.

Even though fall flights are here, autumn hardly seems to have rolled in. "Record breaking highs" have been in the recreational forecast the last couple of days, and there has even been a "red-flag" warning for fire danger inside the park. Climbers have still been summitting via the Disappointment Cleaver, Emmons/Winthrop, and the Kautz Glacier route.

Snow melting and revealing hard glacial ice around the mountain can present new challenges for climbers. Consider bringing both snow AND ice protection for crevasse rescue. Don't be afraid to throw the sharp crampons in the backpack either. Enjoy the views as the colors start to change around the park - see you on the mountain!

Self Registration - 'tis the Season

2011-09-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend has come and gone and that means its self-regitstration time again! The Climbing Information Center (CIC) is now open only on the weekends. During weekdays go ahead and use the self-registration booth in front of the Paradise Ranger Station. See the Permits and Regulations page for more details.

Climbers approaching through White River will still register at the White River Wilderness Information Center, open seven days a week, 7:30-4:30.

We've had a splitter late season high pressue ridge sitting right on the mountain for the past week with no signs of leaving. There are litterally no parties registered to be at high camp this week - so come on up and have the place to your self!

Climbing Program Manager

2011-08-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Stefan Lofgren has officially been selected for the permanent position as Climbing Program Manager. Of course, he's been serving in this role in an acting capacity for over a year now, but his skills, drive, and vision for the program have proven him to be the best person to further the professionalization of the Mount Rainier Climbing program. Stefan has worked for over 20 years in the parks in the Pacific Northwest-most have been here at Mount Rainier, but he has also worked at Olympic. He knows the mountain, the weather, the people, and the environment. While serving in the acting Program Mgr. role, Stefan has guided a major transformation toward professionalizing the overall operation, establishing increased permanent supervisory oversight for staff, provided his staff with increased training opportunities and additional time to prepare for the season, created clear guidelines and SOPs which have helped reduce risk for his employees, spearheaded the first major climbing permit fee increase in over 10 years, and has set a vision for the program which will provide for an even more effective operation that works safely and efficiently doing the amazing things that the climbing rangers do. In addition, he worked with park staff to envision and implement a webcam for Camp Muir and established network connectivity for the Camp. These items will increase the safety for visitors going up to Camp Muir, and enables supervisory staff to spend more time on the mountain than at their computers in Longmire. Congratulations, Stefan! - Chuck Young, Chief Ranger, Mount Rainier National Park

Snowdepth Record at Paradise

2011-08-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

Starting on the 7th of August this year, we have more snow at Paradise than ever recorded since 1916. The world-record snow years in the early 1970's made for similar snow packs this time of year, but the cool weather has caused the snow to melt more slowly than usual. Our total snowfall for the winter of 2011 was approximately 907 inches - not a world record, but one of the five biggest snow years Paradise has ever seen.

What's different is our cool summer we've had this year. Just today, I skied all the way to Camp Muir from the Paradise parking lot. That's amazing. It's August and we should be enjoying the flowers.

I anticipate that our record breaking trend will continue a few weeks. It never really cleared off today at Paradise. The moist, marine-layer that has Seattle fogged in is strong enough to push all the way to Paradise.

Here's the data break down:

Washington Summer

2011-08-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Long term high pressure systems have surrounded the mountain, and after reading the forecasts, look to remain in the area. With July coming to a close, statistically the number of climbers on the mountain also begins to fall. Climbers looking for an experience of solitude in the alpine wilderness can come take advantage of the peace and quiet now. By climbing mid-week this time of year, even on some of the standard routes, the chances of meeting other independent parties on route is greatly reduced.

The late-snow season has left many of the routes in great shape. Climbers will find that the flowers and trails are just now starting to melt out in the alpine meadows. The "peak" of the flower season is still to come. On approaches, climbers have been seeing more Black Bears, Clark's Nutcrackers, and Elephant's Head than in previous years.

As the season progresses, different routes will start to see more traffic. The Mowich Face and the Tahoma Glacier are both routes which stay "in," well into September, along with the standard routes - the DC and EW. Welcome to Remember to bring the sunscreen!

Clearing Above the Mist

2011-07-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Washington locals already know, but for those of you "out-of-towners" the month of July has been unusually stormy. Right now there is 100' visibility in Paradise (elev. 5400'). This has hampered many climbers on approaches and backcountry skiers with navigating. Luckily, even with all the poor forecasts, the upper mountain has stayed clear and relatively calm.

Climbers have been out gettin' it done. The storms below offered amazing sunrises and sunsets. Both standard routes (Emmons/Winthrop and Disappointment Cleaver) are still in great shape - as well as most non-standard routes. Climbers utilizing both the public shelter and the bathrooms at high camps should remember that these facilities are for them; please keep them clean. Do not leave trash, any food (even unopened food), or equipment behind - "leave no trace."

The photo above and right is from the shoulder of the Emmons Glacier earlier this week. These great conditions won't last for long! Hope to see you on the mountain.

Nisqually Rock Avalanches - Frequency and Size

2011-07-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you still watching these large rockslides from the Nisqually Cleaver, here's a little more information for you. I called Kate Allstadt of the Earth and Space Sciences Department at the University of Washington and asked her for some seismic data that may show a better picture of the frequency of rock avalanche events.

She was able to graph some data that shows the distribution of the major rock avalanche events over the period from June 24th to July 7th. You can see in the graph that there is a trend decreasing in frequency and size. So it appears that the danger could be abating - but only gradually.

I must say that this correlates with direct observation, as there have not been any major rock flows down the mountain in the last week or more. The lowest extent of the largest debris path is to an elevation of about 8200 feet. Here is a graph Kate produced that shows the data from the seismic sensors installed on Mt. Rainier. The horizontal axis represents the date. The vertical axis represents the number of events per hour. The top row identifies single and large events.

Peak of the Season

2011-07-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Snow on most approaches has started to consolidate with the melt/freeze cycles we've been having. This makes boot-packing to the routes much more feasible. All of the roads in the park, except the Mowich Lake Road, are open to cars. The road crews hope to have Mowich Lake open by the end of July - there's still seven feet of snow at the lake!

At Camp Muir there are now three gallon and five gallon buckets with lids for food storage. The buckets are kept in the Public Shelter for anybody to use. After use, please return the buckets, cleaned out, to the Public Shelter. Hopefully, use of these buckets for food storage while you are climbing or sleeping will help deter foxes from becoming habituated.

Other peaks within the park have been seeing some climbing activity too. Pinnacle Peak, Castle Peak, Little Tahoma, and Pyramid Peak saw ascents this last week. Climbing in the park is about to peak, and stay popular for the next couple of weeks. Statistically, climbers have the best chance of success in July.

Sun-cups are growing larger and the grit is melting out making skiing conditions more challenging. Skiers descended the Wilson Headwall, Fuhrer Finger, Disappointment Cleaver, and Emmons/Winthrop, but all of them reported conditions are worsening - so get up here quick while there's still pleasant turns to be had!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! Remember firearms are allowed in the park, but fireworks are not.

The weather and climbing conditions came together to make an amazing weekend. A windy low pressure front passing through on Sunday morning made things interesting - but it passed by quickly giving way to the best weather of the season. Climbers have been on Ptarmigan Ridge, Mowich Face, Success Cleaver, Kautz Glacier, Disappointment Cleaver, Little Tahoma, Emmons/Winthrop, and Liberty Ridge. It's as if the poor weather early this season preserved the mountain for great climbing in July. Suncups are starting to form on the south and west facing routes,making skiing on the upper mountain less fun, but cramponing much easier. Be safe, see you on the mountain!

Large Rock Avalanches on the Nisqually

2011-06-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

OK, folks, there're some major rock avalanches happening on the Nisqually Glacier. Anyone venturing near the Nisqually or even traversing across it lower down to get across to the Fan should read this post. We're not talking about a bunch of rocks, but many thousands of tons of debris in a 50' wall of snow, ice, water, dust, and rock coming down the glacier that would outrun anything in its path.

Rangers, climbers, and guides at Camp Muir first were aware when these series of slides started on the 24th of June. Rangers reported feeling the earth shake and hearing a very loud rumble. Indeed, you can tell from extent of airborne dust in the picture above that it must have been loud. Shortly after the slide occurred, the geologists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory called us and asked us what was up. Below is the seismograph reading during the event.

Here's a quote from one of the original emails between the NPS and USGS. - "FYI about 10 minutes ago the climbing rangers at Camp Muir saw what they all described as the biggest icefall they've ever seen come off the Nisqually. A guide party at 8,000 ft on the Wilson glacier reported that it had multiple fingers & traveled down to about 7,800 ft. They also described it as the biggest icefall they've ever seen anywhere.
The rangers at Muir described the debris as a mix of rock & ice and being about 50 feet thick but couldn't judge the acreage covered as it is hard to see the entire run-out zone from Muir. " from Ranger Ben Guttridge.

After I heard about the slide, and saw it from my house in Packwood, I decided to hop in my airplane and take a ride towards the mountain to get some pictures as close as I could.

All in all, there have been three slides of this size in the last two days. Right now, we don't recommend crossing the Nisqually Glacier at all - although at this time, the park has not declared a "closure" of the area. If you are intent on doing the Kautz Glacier route, think about accessing the base of the route by Comet Falls trailhead. Click on this link for a Google Earth KMZ file of the approximate extent of the series of avalanches. Also, here is the screenshot of this file from Google Earth.

Foxes Feast on Food

2011-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Two foxes (of a rare sub species) are currently moving up and down the mountain from Paradise all the way up to the summit. While the mountain is their natural environment, the food they have been eating this year has not been coming from the mountain, most of it has been taken from climbers and day hikers at Camp Muir. Foxes have been consistently searching out food left in backpacks and tent vestibules.

Sadly, we have experienced what happens when foxes become habituated and dependent on humans in the park - we lost our friend Pickles.

Mount Rainier is home for these foxes, meaning we can't relocate them nor would we want to. At this point we are trying our best to have the foxes and climbers interactions be kept to a minimum. Please help us with this effort by maintaining a clean camp and storing all food zipped up, inside of your tent. Day hikers and skiers please be tidy during snack breaks and clean up your scraps (both food and wrappers). Thanks so much for your help!

Sending in June

2011-06-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Generally awesome climbing conditions have led to many teams summiting these past couple of days. Check out the trip report by Olympic Mountain Rescue on the Kautz Cleaver. This is a classic ridge-top line giving spectacular views down the southside of the mountain and a raven's point of view of the Kautz Glacier's ice pitches.
A couple of nice pics were also snapped by rangers in the Sunset Amphitheatre. The westside routes are as remote as ever and offer extreme climbing opportunities along with a moderate descent route (via the Tahoma Glacier).

Going Big, Getting it Done

2011-06-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a very busy time on the Mountain. Climbers have been coming out in droves, summiting via many, many routes, and skiing some very big and beautiful lines down the upper and lower mountain. Even though there have been some cloudy days in the lowlands, the weather on the upper mountain has been spectacular, with sunny skies light wind, and a little new snow just to keep things fresh. Last weekend saw a few hundred skiers come out to get spring turns on the snowfield, and with close to 200 inches of snow still on the ground at Paradise it can be assumed there will be many more great days of skiing this spring, and yes even this summer.

If you were one of the people who made it up to climb, ski, hike or just hang out above the clouds for a day or two you may have noticed some busy rangers running around doing all sorts of tasks, one of which was helping scientists put stakes in the glaciers by which they measure the melt rate of the winters snow, that then helps them determine overall mass balance of the glaciers. The past 14 months of cold and wet weather have had a pretty big impact on the mountain. This is the first ever year where glaciologists have found a positive mass balance in Rainier's glaciers, even though it was just barely on the positive side of things. We'll be waiting to see what kind of weather this summer will bring and how it will effect the large amounts of snow we currently have on the mountain.

Check out the new route updates and photos for the DC, Gib ledges, Liberty Ridge, Camp Muir and the Muir Snowfield.

June

2011-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Wow. Lots of sunshine and a lingering snowpack made for a busy weekend. Climbers have been summitting on all sides of the mountain. Parties have been on Liberty Ridge, Emmons/Winthrop, Success Cleaver, Kautz, Fuhrer Finger, and of course the standard routes out of Camp Muir.

Guides and independent parties have switched to climbing on the Disappointment Cleaver instead of the Ingraham Direct. Wands line the route occasionally, but please remember to have your own navigation system - there could be stray wands on the upper mountain.

As June progresses, and the weather becomes nicer, all the animals around the mountain start getting their own climb on. Make sure to stow your food and human waste in a safe location while climbing - or a raven and fox could swoop in and steal your last energy bar.

Climb on!

Spring Weather

2011-05-23T07:26:00.001-07:00

Small pockets of sunshine followed by waves of snowy/rainy weather have been passing over the park the last couple of weeks. Winter conditions still persist on the mountain: climbers are still choosing to climb the Ingraham Direct instead of the Disappointment Cleaver, eighteen feet of snow still remains at Paradise, and the snow plows are still hard at work clearing the roads.

Please continue to check back to the Access and Roads thread for the most up to date information regarding White River and Stevens Canyon opening dates.

With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner, the climbing season is getting into full swing. The Climbing Information Center will be open daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm starting Friday, May 27th. Come on up and enjoy the start of the season!

May Day

2011-04-30T07:35:00.001-07:00

Nice weather on the weekends in April, and forecasted for the beginning of May too, has brought lots of climbers and skiers out to the mountain. There have been teams ascending Gib Ledges, Fuhrer's Finger, and the Ingraham Direct within the last two weeks. The upper mountain looks filled-in this season - lots of snow accumulation up high. Make sure you and your party can assess avalanche danger. Both the weather and avalanche danger can change rapidly (within hours) this time of year. Check the weather and avalanche resources link here.

Beginning this Sunday, May 1st, the Longmire Gate will be left open, and the road to Paradise will be open to the public 24 hours/day. If snow or other weather conditions require it, the gate may be closed down again temporarily for safety reasons.

Powder to Corn

2011-04-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

As the sun shines more frequently, and the freezing level rises, the snow around the mountain changes. It consolidates, mushes together, and begins to melt away. Spring skiing conditions are on the way! With better weather patterns in the forecast, now is a great time to have solitude on the standard climbing routes.

Also, please note: the overnight parking location at Paradise has changed: it is now exclusively in the lower parking lot. Please do not park by the Paradise Inn (snow removal operations are taking place).

... and, due to a recent accident, a word of warning: Skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers should use extreme caution when engaging in snowsports in the Paradise area. High snowbanks, created by road plowing operations, coupled with unseasonably high snowdepths, present a falling hazard above plowed roads and parking lots. Make sure you have scoped out your intended route before engaging in snowsports around the Paradise area. Parents should ensure children are kept away from all snowbanks above roads.

Steph Abegg's Website

2011-03-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Seattle climber and photographer Steph Abegg has made a map of Mount Rainier with major routes drawn on it, each route shown in a different color. It is intended to be used for planning, rather than as a field map, and makes a nice poster for your wall. Click on the map to see it in a larger view:

Steph has also taken SAR, fatality, and climbing data provided on www.mountrainierclimbing.us and produced an array of graphs and analyses.

If you would like to make a poster of the map or look at her graphs and data, Steph can be reached via her webpage: http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/

Alta Vista Snow Pit

2011-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everyone!

This week's snow pit is from the east side of Alta Vista and features the massive amount of new snow that we received during last week's storm cycle.

As you can see from the pit graph, there is small sun crust at the surface (that made for bad skiing) and below that is a 105 cm layer of cold, new snow. This layer has settled about 5" and continues to stabilize. Below this layer there are a number of complex ice crust layers that were observed just below the surface in the Feb. 9th snow pit near The Castle in the Tatoosh Range. These layers remain a source of instability and are acting as release surfaces for the deep slab avalanches that have been occurring in Washington.

Stability tests from the Alta Vista snow pit did not indicate deep instability. The compression, extended column, and the Rutschblock tests had failures either near the surface or did not fail. However, as noted by NWAC, even as the snowpack stabilizes there are still persistent weak layers, and localized areas throughout the region are experiencing large, slab releases.

The forecast is showing another series of fronts that are expected to cross the Northwest through the end of the weekend, bringing significant new snow accumulation. Cautious route finding is encouraged if traveling in the backcountry.

Climate Prediction (March April May)

2011-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Just was looking at the NWS climate prediction center's March-May forecast. Here is my summary: Looks like cooler than usual for the period, but average precipitation. This could be good for climbing and skiing on Mt. Rainier this spring!

Moderate la nina conditions continue in the tropical pacific ocean. Sea surface temperatures (ssts) in the equatorial pacific ocean are below average from around 160e to the south american coast, with ssts between 1 and 2 degrees c below normal in some areas. This very large area of anomalously cool ssts has significant impact on the large scale atmospheric circulation throughout the tropical pacific region, which, in turn, is expected to considerably influence the mean atmospheric circulation patterns over north america.

The temperature outlook for march, april, and may 2011 reflects typical spring la nina condition and favors below average temperatures from washington and oregon eastward across the northern rockies to the western great lakes region. The chances for above average mean temperatures are enhanced from the interior southwest and southern rockies to the central gulf coast states.

Here's the page in full:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/90day/fxus05.html

Snow!

2011-03-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everybody! The road crew, after a huge three day effort, plowed their way up to Paradise today! We were able to get the weather and record that 41" of new snow has fallen in the past three days, with a snow water equivalent of 2.82"...so it's drier than normal. Snow stability assessments made early this week observed a 3 to 4 foot crown fracture on southern aspects just below the Barn Flats area. Stability tests near the Canyon Rim lookout on wind ward slopes produced moderate failures about 30 to 45 cm below the surface with Q2 shears. However, these observations were made early in the week before temperatures rose considerably. While the new snow is settling, continued strong westerly winds and additional new snow are keeping the instability high. Hopefully, the road to Paradise will soon be open to the public, and for all those chomping at the bit, cautious backcountry travel is highly advised!

The Castle Snow Pit and a big temperature gradient!

2011-02-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everyone!

This week's snow pit was dug in the Tatoosh Range on the east side of The Castle. General observations: 10 cm of great powder on top of a hard, multi-layered, 10 cm crust. As you can see from the graph there are two thin ice layers with softer snow beneath both. The layer of most concern is between 17 and 20 cm deep. Small faceted crystals (i.e., angular crystals) were observed in this layer, which can be expected due to the large temperature gradient in the top part of the snow pack. (Any time the temperature gradient exceeds 1oC over 10cm, the potential exists for faceting.)

Stability tests did not show any propagation, but failures were consistent at 18 cm. The Rutschblock Test showed a failure at 10 cm (the interface between the powder and the icy crust). But I have to admit, the crust was so icy that I slipped before I could get in a good jump on the block.

In summary, the strong temperature gradient and faceted crystals are signs of instability in the snow pack. However, the near- surface crusts are very strong, and seem to be adequately supporting sun-seeking recreationists. Great skiing conditions can be found where the wind hasn't scoured off the powder. Terrain and conditions will vary, so stay alert out there! More precip is headed our way for the weekend. Get out while you can.

Route Update: Ingraham Direct

2011-02-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a trip report and pictures from a party that climbed the Ingraham Direct route on Feb 1-2:

Climbing in a party of two, myself Joe Edmark, and my buddy Andrew Doedens. We'd been watching the weather for about a month looking for a summit window and put our climbing plans in motion when we saw our chance. Left Lynnwood for the mountain early Tuesday morning with the plan of hitting Longmire for climbing permits at 9am. We chatted with a fellow making a solo attempt of the Kautz while getting ready in the parking lot. We were a bit behind schedule but started skinning up to Camp Muir about 1130am. I was on AT gear and Andrew was carrying his climbing boots while skinning up with alpine trekkers and alpine ski gear. We carried a tent although reports said the public shelter was open. We had decided to take our time to Muir to save energy for our summit attempt and arrived at Muir about 630pm just as the sun was setting. We were met by icy and difficult skinning conditions about 1000ft below Muir which slowed us down considerably. I carried ski crampons but didn't use them (andrew had none) but it was manageable with a bit of patience and concentration. There was another party of two in the Muir shelter also planning an ascent on the ID, Harrison and his partner (don't recall his name) We cooked dinner and melted snow for water with a bit of help from our neighbors, (always bring a backup stove) thanks guys. We planned an alpine start at midnight and somehow motivated our bunkmates to start up before us. The other party left us some hot water on the stove and headed out while Andrew and I got ready and had some breakfast. We headed towards Cathedral Gap with crampons on following the other summit teams tracks about a quarter past one am. It was slow going but conditions were great and the trail was broken (thanks again guys), there were about six crevasse crossings on the whole route, easily crossed with running belays without setting any other protection. Weather was in the single digits with pretty sustained winds around 20-30mph and the sky was overcast most of the morning. Andrew started getting sick so I dug out a snow shelter at about 13,000 and he took a nap while I watched the beautiful sunrise. The other team was making their descent past our dugout as we were getting ready to continue up since Andrew was feeling better. The sun started peaking out from behind the clouds as we approached the rim. We topped out on the crater floor about 1030 am and hung out for a bit while we hydrated and fueled up for the descent. The sun really started to shine as we made our way down and we had to shed layers pretty quickly. Conditions were much looser on the way down but the snow pack was still pretty stable with minor sluffs here and there. We arrived back at Camp Muir about 230 pm. We packed up and headed to Paradise back on skis somewhere around 4pm, and were met by very difficult to ski in variable conditions. We ran out of daylight and had to stop to put headlamps back on, skins back on and figure out where we were. We had almost skiied past Paradise but were fortunate to have stopped in time and were just almost there. We packed up the rig somehow misplacing one of Andrew's plastic climbing boots and made our way down to the locked gate at Longmire. We got the combination from the hotel and fiddled with the rusted lock for a few minutes (please replace) before we got the gate open and headed back home. Awesome weather, awesome climb, awesome mountain. Looking for my next weather window! :-)

Route Updates for Fuhrer Finger and Kautz Headwall

2011-02-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everybody!

We just had two parties return from a great day of climbing and skiing in the sunshine on Wednesday, February 2nd.

The first party was attempting to climb and then ski Fuhrer Finger. They encountered 'buttery' snow up to 9,000' which switched over to very hard snow (ie front pointing) above 10,000'. The ski descent was dust on a very hard crust and didn't sound like very much fun. However, below the finger the snow softened up and made the entire trip worthwhile.

Also, a soloist ventured up the Kautz Headwall very early this morning. He didn't have much to say other than the snow was very soft above 10,500' and he turned around because it was slow going. He also reported that it was icy between 8,500' and 10,500'.

Some precipitation is headed our way, and depending on where the snow level lands it could come as rain or snow. Hopefully, we'll see some more climbs during our next weather window!

Good Skiing and Narada Falls Face Snow Pit

2011-02-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everyone!

After several days of cooler weather and some precipitation, the mountain has come back out in full sunshine with a good 6" of powder on her flanks. There is some great skiing on the south and west aspects right now; while the eastern aspects are getting crusty.

This weeks snow pit was dug at the top of Narada Falls Face, just below the Steven's Canyon Road. As you can see from the profile, the main layer of concern is between 10 to 20 cm below the surface. Some moderate failures for the stability tests indicated that point releases are possible especially on lee slopes. However, no propagation was observed during the stability testing.

CTM(14) @ 12 cm Q3
ECTN(18) @ 12 cm Q3
RB3 @ 12 cm Q2

Keep an eye out for possible point releases on south facing aspects...there's plenty of sluffs coming off all around the Paradise area; especially the face on Panorama Point and the 4th Crossing area.

Sunshine! and Panorama Point Snow Pit

2011-01-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Howdy Everybody!
The sun is out and the temperatures are soaring: 49 at Paradise today! Come out and ski in your shorts.

This week's snow pit was dug just below the bathrooms at Panorama Point. Except for the surface, the top 100 cm of snow contains 6 layers that are all the same hardness and temperature and a mixture of rain crust, ice crust, and rounds. There was about 5 cm of heavy snow on top of a rain crust as of yesterday afternoon. By noon today there was a good 5 cm of slush on top.

Stabililty tests for the snow pit were as follows:
ECTX
CTN
STH @ (15cm) Q2

The weekend forecast shows a drop in the freezing level (finally) and some snow headed our way!

Mazama Bowl Snow Pit

2011-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well here it is...a snow pit featuring the infamous 'MLK crust'. As of January 19th, the crust has yet to freeze solid, and with the recent and forecasted warm temperatures, it's unlikely to do so any time soon.

Stability tests performed on Sunday, Jan. 25:
Alta Vista, Aspect 90o; Slope 30o; evel 5800'.

ETCX
CTH(22) @ 30cm Q3
STM @ 10cm Q3

Also, there were 4 to 5 loose snow slides (sluffs off the south face of Panorama Point. These point-releases resulted from the intense sun melting and weakening the top layer of snow and occurred on Saturday, Jan. 22 around 'high noon'.

Tuesday and Wednesday (1/25 and 1/26) should be mostly sunny and warm, so come on up to Paradise and enjoy some spring skiing in January!

Wacky Weather!

2011-01-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

We all thought La Nina was going to give us a cold and wet winter with lots of snow and great skiing. Well, there have been some good days of skiing at Paradise, of course, in the last month, but there's been a lot of wild weather.

We're currently on the tail end of a 7" rain storm at Paradise. It was raining at times, clear up to 9000 feet. Fortunately, no major flooding damaged any roads (so far). We're planning on opening the road to Paradise today, after keeping it closed yesterday, due to avalanches (both snow, rock, and mud), flood, and rockfall potential.

Ranger Drew Bryenton dug a pit last week. Look for more full profiles from Drew. We'll post them here as well as on the NWAC website. Here's the January 11th, full profile / before all this rain.

Currently, the rain has switched to snow. It's sticking to the old rain surface pretty well. The new snow density is about 40%... Not good skiing, but good for stability.

There are some scheduled climbs this week. I hope to hear back from them so stay tuned.

~ 2 hours later: Just got back in from digging around for avalanche stability along the road to Paradise:

Date/Time: 1/17/2011 ~ 10:00am

Elevation: 5250

Slope: 49deg

Aspect: 170degT

Weather: Snowing

Temp: 32F

Lat: 46.781244

Long: -121.743672

Results:

SST (Shovel Shear) - STE @ 35cm Q3 (Weaker waterlogged snow just collapsed).

CT (Compression Test) - CTE(5) @ 35cm Q3 (Weak snow collapsing)

ECT (Extended Collumn Test) - ECTX (No propogation across collumn / shovel only plowing down)

RB (Rutschblock Test) - RB3 @ 35cm Q3 MB (Weaker snow collapse / no shear surface).

Independent Public Help With Rescue From The Tatoosh!

2010-12-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Kudos to visitors who help during carry-outs!

On November 21st, an experienced 49 year old male was skiing in the Sunbeam Creek drainage off the Steven's Canyon Road. This leads up into the Tatoosh Range between The Castle and Foss Peak. At about 1:00 pm he was skiing a shallow chute a few hundred feet below the ridge crest.

As he skied down he hit a rock and his skis suddenly stopped. He crashed and was not able to get back up. He and other party members on scene quickly determined it was likely a classic boot-top fracture. They splinted the injury, stabilized him, and they went for help.

At about 3:30 in the afternoon, the National Park Service was notified and rangers took the reporting party back to where they had exited on the road. A hasty team was sent back up their ski tracks to locate the patient.

Here's where we give respect.

There were only a few rangers on that day in the immediate area, and only 2 were initially available to help with the carry out. Four independent members of the public who were also skiing that drainage that day volunteered to help.

Special thanks to:

Marty Gunderson of Woodinville, WA
Oliver Evans of Seattle, WA
Peter Moore of Seattle, WA
Simon Windell of Seattle, WA

These four were given a litter, technical gear, and EMS supplies to pack back up the hill for about 45 minutes. Without their help, it would've taken us a lot longer to get to the patient, stabilize, and transport.

The patient was sledded out in a carbon fiber ski patrol litter called an akja, supplied by Cascade Toboggan. The four volunteers plus available rangers helped pull the litter through the flats for a quick load onto our ambulance and transport to the hospital. We didn't get out to the road until well after dark.

Injuries aside, this rescue went very smoothly, largely due to the help of independent public recreationists who were able and willing to lend a hand.

Thanks, guys!

Proposed Mt. Rainier Climbing Fee Increase

2010-11-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

Mount Rainier National Park News Release

October 28, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Donna Rahier, Superintendent’s Office, 360-569-2211, x2301

Public Input Sought for Proposed Climbing Fee Increase through January 31, 2011

Mount Rainier Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced that the park is soliciting public input on a proposal to increase annual pass fees for those climbing Mount Rainier, beginning in the 2011 climbing season. The comment period will be open for 90+ days beginning November 1, and will close January 31, 2011.

A series of public meetings to provide information and solicit comments from the public regarding this proposal have been scheduled for the following dates, locations and times:

Tuesday, November 30: Tacoma, WA

7:00pm-9:00pm

Mountaineers Building

2302 N 30th St

Tacoma, WA 98403-3323

Tuesday, December 7: Seattle, WA

Seattle Mountaineers Building

7:00pm-9:00pm

7700 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, WA 98115

Wednesday, December 8: Ashford, WA

Mount Rainier Education Center

7:00pm-9:00pm

55210 238^th Ave E.

Ashford, WA 98304

Mount Rainier’s Climbing Program:

· Manages climbing activities to provide a world-class experience

· Registers about 11,000 climbers each year, issues and accounts for climbing passes

· Provides up-to-date climbing route and safety information

· Keeps weather, climbing, route, and climbing related information updated on a web blog

· Staffs two ranger stations (Paradise and White River) providing climber information, orientations and passes

· Staffs two high camps (Camp Muir and Camp Schurman) and briefs hundreds of climbers each evening during peak season

· Responds to dozens of climbing related searches and rescues; provides emergency medical services

· Maintains toilets daily at the high camps and hauls several thousands of pounds of human waste off the upper mountain to processing facilities

· Manages the “blue bag” program to keep human wastes off the climbing routes

· Maintains and operates high camp facilities and communication systems

· Provides climbing rangers with competencies in core skill areas, including mountaineering, search and rescue, emergency medical services, incident management, and aviation

· Operates a fee collection and point of sale system (credit card machines/iron rangers)

· Monitors the alpine wilderness areas for impacts related to visitor use and climate change

The park’s Climbing Program is largely funded by cost recovery revenue from climbing pass fees, required by each individual climbing Mount Rainier. The pass fee of $30 per person per year has not increased in eight years; program funding is no longer adequate to support essential education, safety and other public services.

Mount Rainier is proposing an increase in the annual pass fee to between $43 and $58, with yearly adjustments thereafter determined by changes in the Consumer Price Index or other methodology. A cost recovery fee in the $43 range would reestablish essential public safety, education, information, and resource protection services and programs. A cost recovery fee in the $58 range would support new or improved services for the climbing public. Public input is sought to assist the National Park Service in formulating a climbing pass fee that is fair and equitable, supports unique services for climbers, and sustains a world-class climbing experience on Mount Rainier.

For more information on the proposal, please visit the Park’s web site at:

http://www.nps.gov/mora/parkmgmt/climbingfee.htm

Comments may be submitted by e-mail or in writing to the following addresses:

rainierclimbingfee@nps.gov

Superintendent

ATTN: Climbing Cost Recovery Fee

Mount Rainier National Park

55210 238^th Ave E

Ashford, WA 98304

Mount Rainier National Park

Climbing and Mountaineering Program

Proposed Cost Recovery Fee Increase

FAQ’s (frequently asked questions)

1. How does the Mount Rainier climbing program serve climbers and why raise the climbing Cost Recovery Fee?

Mount Rainier National Park is proposing to increase the cost of an annual climbing pass from $30 to an amount between $43 and $58. The fee increase is intended to offset the impacts of 8 years of unfunded cost increases and fund the essential services and programs that directly benefit climbers and the upper mountain.

Mount Rainier’s Climbing Program:

Manages climbing activities to provide a world-class experience
Registers about 11,000 climbers each year, issues and accounts for climbing passes
Provides up to date climbing route and safety information
Keeps weather, climbing, route, and climbing related information updated on a weblog
Staffs two ranger stations (Paradise and White River) providing climber information, orientations and passes
Staffs two high camps (Camp Muir and Camp Schurman) and briefs hundreds of climbers each evening during peak season
Responds to dozens of climbing related searches and rescues; provides emergency medical services
Maintains toilets daily at the high camps and hauls several thousands of pounds of human waste off the upper mountain to processing facilities
Manages the “blue bag” program to keep human wastes off the climbing routes
Maintains and operate high camp facilities and communication systems
Provides climbing rangers with competencies in core skill areas, including mountaineering, SAR, EMS, Incident Management, and aviation
Operates a fee collection and point of sale system (credit card machines / iron rangers)
Monitors the alpine wilderness areas for impacts related to visitor use and climate change

The climbing Cost Recovery Fee pays for the majority of these services plus the program is supplemented by base funding and franchise fees paid by the guide concessionaires. There has been no increase in the climbing Cost Recovery Fee since 2003. The fee charged has not been linked to the consumer price index (CPI) or adjusted for inflation. As a result, gains made from the fee increase 8 years ago have been eroded by inflation and cost increases, leaving the climbing program in even worse financial condition than before the 2003 fee increase.

In addition, an assumption was made in 2002 that demand in climbing would continue to increase at the steady rate seen from 1989-2001, thereby increasing the program’s income as more climbing passes were sold each year. This has not turned out to be the case.

This proposed fee increase would be annually adjusted for inflation, better enabling the park to sustain services for climbers and run a safe operation. Fluctuation in the number of climbers would still create some variability in available funding from year-to-year. However, an initial fee increase to restore services, followed by annual adjustments based on CPI, would provide a firm financial foundation for essential services.

2. What new services can be expected as a result of the proposed fee increase?

No new services would be added to Mount Rainier’s climbing program if the fee increases to $43. This funding level would reestablish and support a program that meets minimum requirements for essential visitor services, resource protection, public and operational safety.

A fee increase to $58 would enhance staffing and support new or improved services for climbers:

More avalanche oriented climbing information in the spring season
Better SAR organization with guides, Mt. Rescue units, and other volunteer resources
More consistent climbing blog posts with more routes covered (especially in shoulder seasons)
Improved self-registration process
New online services for climbers such as online pass purchase
Streamlined online solo-climbing application procedures
Improved public media like orientation videos, detailed route descriptions, and web information
Improved human waste collection facilities at high campsMaintain a minimum staffing level which provides appropriate supervisory oversight and backup contingencies
More public engagements by leadership staff

3. How does the Mount Rainier Climbing Program spend the money it receives from the cost recovery funds and other sources?

In 2010, Climbing Program funding was allocated and spent as detailed in the chart below. The Program’s total budget was about $348,000. Climbing fee revenue totaled $273,000. The remaining $75,000 was non-fee revenue allocated to the program by the park.

4. What is the authority under which Mount Rainier National Park collects the climbing Cost Recovery Fee?

Mount Rainier collects the climbing Cost Recovery Fee under 31 USC 9701 (charge for a service –“service or thing of value provided”) and 16 USC Section 3a and OMB Circular A-25 Revised. The program is managed by DOI Part 346 Cost Recovery and NPS Management Policies 8.2.6.1 and DO/RM 53: Special Park Uses. Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks George T. Frampton Jr. signed the approval memorandum, dated May 31, 1995.

5. Why is the Mount Rainier climbing program not funded in full with NPS base funding?

Congress appropriates annual funding for the operation of national park units, including Mount Rainier National Park. This is considered a park’s “base funding”. Mount Rainier’s base funding is used to fund a broad range of visitor services and related activities. Some of this funding directly supports the climbing program through staff salaries, administrative support, communication systems, utilities and facilities.

Climbing activities are considered Special Park Uses. A Special Park Use is a short term activity that takes place in a park area, and that:

provides a benefit to an individual, group or organization rather than the public at large;
requires written authorization and some degree of management control from the NPS in order to protect park resources and the public interest;
is not prohibited by law or regulation; and
is neither initiated, sponsored nor conducted by the NPS

NPS Policy (RM-53) directs that the NPS will charge a fee and recover costs for special park use permits unless prohibited by law or Executive Order, or when the proposed use is protected by the First Amendment or involves another right and not a privilege. The NPS will retain funds recovered for the cost incurred in managing a special park use.

Under RM 53, a recoverable cost is defined as, “costs directly attributable to the use. Costs are recoverable when such costs would not have been incurred if the activity did not take place, or, are necessary, in the judgment of the NPS, for the safe completion of the special park use”.

Special use fees may pay for:

Direct personnel costs
Material supply costs
Official travel
Utilities
Environmental and cultural compliance
Vehicles
Administration
Management
Documentation

All Mount Rainier climbing cost recovery fees are placed in an account used solely to provide and support climber services.

6. Why are park entrance fees not used to pay for the climbing program?

Entrance fees are collected at Mount Rainier and other parks and federal lands under the authority of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). This Act directs fees collected to be used to enhance visitor services, including repair, maintenance, and facility enhancement. Typical uses of fee revenues include repairing campgrounds, habitat restoration directly related to wildlife-dependent recreation, fixing boat launches, replacing interpretive displays, providing new restroom facilities and parking. At Mount Rainier, the fees collected at entrance stations have been used to fund the summer Paradise shuttle system, which helps deal with parking shortages at Paradise, chip-sealing the Paradise parking lot, rental of portable toilets for the lower Paradise parking lot to supplement toilets at the Jackson Visitor Center, funding of a permanent comfort station at the lower Paradise lot (2011), numerous trail rehab projects, Paradise meadow revegetation projects, and many others. Many of these projects, while not paying for the park climbing program directly, do benefit those who come to the park to climb the mountain.

7. Shouldn’t at least some base funding support the climbing program?

Yes…and it does. The climbing program benefits from base funding in the form of infrastructure, access, services, and administration. This includes operation and maintenance of ranger stations, the Climbing Information Center, Emergency Operations Center, Camp Muir and Camp Schurman structures, and employee housing units. Other funded support services include telecommunications, radio communication infrastructure, dispatch support, electricity, administrative and custodial support. Base funding also supports maintenance of trails and roads that provide access to the park and mountain. The table below presents the major services and support provided by Park base funds, none of which are charged back to the climbing program.

Non-fee Support of Climbing Program Operations
(not associated with the climbing fee)

Position	Cost
Franchise Fees (from climbing guide services)	$19,000.00
Centennial Initiative Funding	$26,500.00
Alpine District Ranger	$99,000.00
Chief Ranger (10% of total costs)	$12,000.00
Backcountry Carpenters	$15,000.00
Backcountry Facilities Manager	$30,000.00
Concessions Manager	$20,000.00
Entrance Station Bluebags	$3,000.00
Wilderness Reservations	$5,000.00
White River Staffing (4 out of 7 days)	$20,000.00
Radio / Telecom Support	$10,000.00
Miscellaneous Support	$10,000.00
Total:	$272,000.00

The Climbing Cost Recovery fees augment the base funding and cover the salaries of the climbing rangers and the field supervisors staffing the upper mountain and the Climbing Information Center, and the salaries and related support costs to manage human waste on the upper mountain.

8. Do the climbing rangers provide services to visitors other than climbers paying the Cost Recovery Fee?

Yes. While climbing rangers focus their attention on the upper mountain and the climbing public, they do provide services to all visitors. Climbing rangers provide roadside and low-country EMS, assistance to day and overnight visitors, human waste removal for all who visit high camps, SAR response to all visitors regardless of the activity in which they are involved. While the Climbing Information Center (CIC) focuses its services on climbers, their staff serves every visitor who drops in by providing general park information. The CIC is the only information center open during the early morning hours of 6:00 am to 7:30 am.

The specialized training of climbing rangers, their exceptional fitness, and skills and expertise in the areas of aviation, EMS, SAR, high angle rescue and snow safety (avalanche) make them a highly valued and versatile staff resource for a variety of non-climbing related operations.

9. Why don’t the guide services put more money into the climbing program?

Mount Rainier’s three mountaineering guide services collect the climbing cost recovery fee from each client that is guided on the mountain and these funds are placed directly in the park’s climbing Cost Recovery account. The climbing pass fee is the same for guided and independent climbers.

Per the concession contracts, each guide service also places a fixed percentage of their gross receipts into a franchise account. By law, 20% of the franchise fees are sent to Washington, D.C. and are used for national park concession activities Servicewide. 80% of the collected funds remain in the park to be used for concession related needs including, high priority facility repairs and improvements, concession contracting, replacement of major equipment or utility systems, and limited program management and oversight related costs, etc.

In 2010, $19,000 in franchise fees was used to support the park’s mountaineering program services. In 2011, the park will commit between $50,000 and $70,000 in franchise fees to these services.

10. How much money is generated by these guide service franchise fees and why are they not used exclusively to pay for upper mountain projects and the climbing program?

Mount Rainier National Park receives approximately $350,000 annually from the combined franchise fees of the three mountaineering concessioners. Franchise fees from all park concessioners (there are 5, total) are pooled and prioritized by park management for use on concession-related needs.

Franchise fees augmented Line Item Construction funding and helped to support the recently completed structural rehabilitation of the historic Paradise Inn, and construction of the new Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. Franchise fees have also been used for projects such as the new roof and painting of the National Park Inn and Paradise Inn electrical upgrades.

Since 2008, franchise fees have funded a climbing ranger to monitor the climbing concessions on the upper mountain. Franchise fees were also used for a major renovation of the Camp Muir Public Shelter. $54,000 in franchise fees are programmed to support the climbing program in 2011. The park will use franchise fees to complete the Camp Muir Development Concept Plan and then to implement the plan, including the replacement of toilets and other facilities at Camp Muir. The renovation of Camp Muir could include a new public shelter and/or guide-client building, as well as general rock wall and soil stabilization. Over a million dollars in franchise fees would be needed to complete all of these Camp Muir-related projects.

11. Shouldn’t guide services pay more because they impact the resources more?

It is true that guide services usually have larger groups than most independent climbers, but in reality these groups do not impact the resources more than independent climbing parties. In fact, the guides and their clients are very closely monitored by climbing rangers and have requirements outlined in their concession contracts to reduce impacts. Monitoring forms are completed by climbing rangers and reviewed by the NPS Concession Manager. Guides are required to have training in “Leave No Trace” alpine skills and to educate their clients in these practices. This has proven effective in minimizing guided climbing related impacts on the mountain…the guides do a good job taking care of the mountain. Climbing rangers interact regularly with guides to provide feedback and maximize resource protection.

When all is taken into account, guided climbers and independent climbers seem to impact the alpine resources about equally and take roughly about the same overall amount of climbing staff time and resources

12. Do climbing Cost Recovery Fees pay for search and rescue missions?

Climbing Cost Recovery Fees do not pay for search and rescue (SAR) missions. SAR incidents that exceed $500 in costs are paid for by a separate, non-park NPS fund. Because most SAR responses quickly exceed the $500 cost threshold, most Mount Rainier SARs are paid for with this fund source.

Cost Recovery funding plays an essential role in SAR readiness at Mount Rainier by making it possible for the park to have teams of rescue-ready climbing rangers on duty, trained, equipped and available for response to emergencies throughout the course of the climbing season. More importantly, climbing rangers focus much of their energy toward educating and assisting climbers with the goal of preventing SARs, emergencies and tragedies from occurring at all.

13. How was the original fee created?

In 1995, park managers analyzed and determined the basic components of the climbing program. This included the climbing rangers and other staff necessary to provide information and education services, public safety, resource protection, human waste management, and program administration. The cost of providing a functional mountaineering program was estimated at approximately $100,000. That cost was divided by the number of independent climbers registered that season (6,600) resulting in an approximate cost of $15 per climber for a single climb or $25 for an annual climbing pass. Beginning in 2001, all guide service clients were also required to pay the same Cost Recovery Fee. In 2003, the climbing Cost Recovery Fee was raised to $30 per climber for an annual climbing pass as inflation and other factors created need for additional program funding. The single-trip climbing fee was also eliminated.

14. What is the proposed cost of next year’s annual climbing pass?

Between $43 and $58…an increase of $13-18 over the current cost.

In much the same way the original fee was determined by park managers, this fee increase proposal relies on the estimated cost of running the climbing ranger program, divided by the number of climbers expected to register. The proposed budget to run the climbing program for 2011 is between $512,000 and $660,000. Looking at current trends, the expectation is approximately 9,650 passes will be sold in 2011. Dividing the overall cost of the program by the number of passes sold results in a pass cost of $51 to $67. The park intends to increase the amount of franchise fees supporting the program in 2011, lowering the cost per pass to between $43 and $58 per climber per year.

15. When will there be another cost increase?

A proposed climbing Cost Recovery Fee in the range of $43 would support a climbing program that provides the essential visitor and resource protection services, while mitigating risks to park employees living and operating in a high-risk environment. A higher climbing permit fee, up to $58, would support additional and improved services. Fees would be adjusted beyond 2011 to reflect changes in the consumer price index (CPI), or other methodology, and would be intended to sustain service levels over time.

Changes to the climbing program as a result of changing climatic conditions, demographics, major swings in the popularity of climbing or other effects could occur, however, the proposed fee structure is expected to sustain the program and services into the next decade.

16. How efficient is the Mount Rainier Climbing Program at managing costs and spending the Cost Recovery Fees?

The climbing program has always taken a conservative approach to spending. That said, the park offers good value for the cost of a climbing permit. The estimated program cost per climber compares well with those of other NPS park units with substantive climber use, recognizing that costs and other program factors vary widely from park to park and a direct comparison is not possible. The current climbing program averages out to about $40 per climber (including the $30 climbing fee) and the proposed essential program averages out to about $58 per climber (including a $43 climbing fee).

17. Is the park going to charge climbers for crevasse rescue practice on a glacier?

No. The park has not required climbers to register and pay the Cost Recovery Fee for practicing crevasse rescue techniques on the lower Nisqually Glacier.

18. What other user fees are charged to the general public at Mount Rainier besides the climbing Cost Recovery Fee?

There are user fees charged for several other activities including:

spreading of ashes $ 25
weddings $ 60
frontcountry camping $ 12-$64
backcountry camping reservations $ 20
sporting events varies
commercial filming $100 and up

Cost Recovery Fees are charged above and beyond entrance fees for those activities consistently requiring the time and/or services of park personnel that the average visitor does not require.

19. Why are backcountry campers not charged a fee?

Overnight backcountry campers are not currently charged a fee other than a reservation fee if they choose to make a reservation. The Park's intention is to institute a user fee for permits for this activity, and has worked toward this goal for a number of years. This fee would help cover operational costs to manage the park's extensive Wilderness use by overnight campers including maintenance and repair of human waste collection facilities, maintenance of trails and backcountry camps, shelters and trails, management of the wilderness permit system, wilderness patrols to protect public safety and protect park resources, and education of the public on Leave No Trace principles and protecting Wilderness values. These costs are currently covered by park entrance fees, park base funding allocated by Congress, and a number of special project fund sources. Progress toward initiating a Wilderness Permit fee has been delayed in the past due to attempts to coordinate fee structures between Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, and other priorities, such as flood responses, major construction and planning projects that have dominated staff time.

20. Why isn’t there just one fee that pays for climbing on all of the Northwest’s high peaks?

At this point, the Mount Rainier climbing program is the most complex and costly of the Northwest peaks. This is due to several factors including the sheer number of climber days, the international appeal, the extensive glaciation, the height and difficulty of the mountain, the risk factors, the complexity and number of incidents, the high level of resource protection (e.g. removal of all human waste from the upper mountain) that is necessary to protect the mountain and the quality of the climbing experience. Mount Rainier could join with the managing agencies of the other Northwest peaks, but the cost of such a pass would have to include the full cost of a Mount Rainier pass, in addition to the costs of other passes. This does not seem beneficial to climbers not planning a climb of Mount Rainier.

21. Will an increase in fee result in an increase in non-compliance of payment?

Non-compliance with the climbing Cost Recovery Fee is not currently a problem and the rate of non-compliance did not increase following the last fee increase in 2003. While there will always be occurrences of non-compliance with any requirement, this level is expected to remain negligible. Overall, the climbing Cost Recovery Fee seems to be a non-issue with the great majority of climbers, as virtually no complaints about the fee have been received since it was instituted. The fee is used for programs and services that directly benefit climbers, the climbing experience and the upper mountain.

22. Can the fee increase be reduced by reducing services?

Each of the services provided by the Climbing Program has been studied for possible reduction or removal. Each service currently provided is either consistently requested by climbers, focused on public safety, and necessary to manage public use, human waste and otherwise protect the climbing experience and the upper mountain environment. Additionally, safety risks faced by park employees and volunteers on the mountain dictate the staffing, training, operational and supervision standards that must be met. All of these services, functions, programs and requirements have associated costs.

Route, weather and avalanche conditions are the most requested items at high camps. Due to the unique nature of Mount Rainier’s climbing environment, climbing rangers cannot simply repeat general weather reports or condition updates to climbers, but must use their training, experience and knowledge to interpret the available information and formulate reasoned advice or counsel for climbers for each situation.

23. Why do experienced climbers, familiar with the mountain and the park’s rules and environmental polices, need to register and pay?

There are several reasons why climbers are required to register for permits: There are limits established in the park’s Wilderness Management Plan for the number of overnight users in each zone of the park, including the upper mountain. Carrying capacities protect resources and the quality of the visitor’s experience. This is the reason EVERY person backcountry camping within the park (backpacker or climber) must register for their overnight trip.

Experienced or not, most everyone uses the toilet facilities at high camps and/or the blue bag system on the upper mountain. Park and agency plans and policy dictate that all human waste will be removed from the upper mountain. There is a significant cost to this program, and the Cost Recovery Fee pays for it.

Accidents and medical problems happen to even the most experienced climbers. While rescue costs are not paid out of the Cost Recovery Fees, staffing the mountain with teams of rescue-ready climbing rangers, trained and available for emergencies is. While a climber might be OK saying, “I don’t want anyone to come help if I am hurt”, their family and friends see it differently. The park has a duty to act when a visitor is injured or sick.

24. Could there be graduated fees so that climbers pay for only the services they use? Or perhaps pay less for climbing more remote routes with fewer services?

Such a fee schedule adds a good deal of complexity to an otherwise easy-to-understand fee structure. Many of the comments received during the 2002 fee proposal public meetings emphasized the desire to have a simple fee structure. The park’s response to this recommendation was to implement the flat fee for an annual pass that is now in place.

Additionally, climbing ranger services for the most experienced climbers are not considerably different from those provided to a novice (see previous question).

25. Are services afforded climbers really more expensive than services afforded the average park visitor?

Yes. The following are some of the climber services not provided to average park visitors:

maintaining specialized high-altitude toilets daily and flying human waste from high camps
providing and disposing of blue bags
staffing remote high camps with knowledgeable and skilled rangers to assist climbers and respond to incidents
providing an emergency medical services capability on the upper mountain
supplying high camps with emergency and communications gear
conducting summit patrols to assess route conditions, monitor use and resource impacts
provide timely information to climbers at high camps, ranger stations and on the blog
registering every climber, providing safety, weather, route planning and orientation information

26. Other Cascade peaks have either a small climbing program or no climbing programs at all. Why does Mount Rainier National Park need to have fully staffed (and more costly) climbing program?

Mount Rainier is the tallest, most massive and most glaciated peak in the Cascades. The number of climber days annually for summit climbers is more than twice that of any other large Cascade peak. On average, climbs of Mount Rainier take three days. With over 10,000 climbers per year on the mountain, that represents about 30,000 visitor use days. That’s a lot of users and use on the upper mountain, concentrated largely over a three month period, in an alpine environment that is readily impacted and degraded.

This use is managed - through use limits, regulations, permit requirements, information, education, on-site staffing of the high camps, maintenance of toilet facilities and the blue bag system - to protect the environment and the world-class qualities of the Mount Rainier climbing experience. The climbing routes and camps are clean, and a high quality visitor experience persists, because use is deliberately managed. This management, in turn, requires a combination of skilled and experienced staff and volunteers before, during and after the primary climbing season.

Moreover, because the NPS has exclusive jurisdiction over Mount Rainier National Park it cannot delegate its management responsibilities (including search and rescue) to another entity.

Over 100,000 people have attempted summit climbs of Mt. Rainier in the last 10 years!

27. Can paid climbing rangers be replaced with volunteers?

Never entirely. Mount Rainier relies heavily on volunteers to operate the park and incorporates 3-6 volunteers in its climbing program each year. Volunteer contributions to the climbing program are invaluable.

However, experience has taught – in the hardest way possible at Mount Rainier – that volunteers must also work alongside and be led by a staff of professional, paid climbing rangers with the specialized skills, knowledge and experience needed in the high risk environment of the upper mountain.

Volunteers are generally a short-term resource with high turnover. Volunteering for some is an avenue to developing the experience needed to compete for a paid position. To retain rangers with the skills, training, knowledge and experience needed at Mount Rainier – and to keep good people coming back - they must be paid.

28. What skills are required of Mount Rainier climbing rangers?

Here’s a listing of climbing ranger knowledge, skills and abilities:

Climbing/Mountaineering Skills
Rope Rescue
Aviation
Emergency Medical Technician-B
Avalanche Forecasting
Fee Collection
Resource Management/Leave No Trace Best Practices
Human Waste Management
Risk Management
Incident Management
Mountain Weather Forecasting
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
Ranger Station Operations

Certifications and continuing education are required in several of these areas.

Remembering Joe Puryear

2010-11-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, October 27th we received tragic news that friend and former climbing ranger Joe Puryear lost his life while climbing Labuche Kang, a remote peak in Tibet. His partner on the climb was David Gottlieb, a current climbing ranger.

This loss has deeply affected everyone in our community. Joe was an incredible person and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with Joe's family and with David, as he continues to deal with this situation in Tibet.

To read more about Joe's incredible life and climbing adventures please visit his website.

Winter!

2010-10-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

As the season wraps up for the remaining climbing rangers here at Mount Rainier, we would like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy Mount Rainier this year. Whether you were climbing, skiing, camping or just day hiking into the alpine, we hope your trip was enjoyable, even if it was during one of those seemingly frequent stretches of stormy weather.

Remember the park doesn't close, just some roads and buildings do. So if you want to come out and enjoy this wonderful area over the winter please do! The road to Paradise is maintained year round and open, weather permitting, throughout the winter. The other roads in the park close as the snow comes, but for the hardy few who aren't turned off by the longer approach these more remote areas of Rainier can lead to some incredible climbing and skiing opportunities all winter long.

Stay tuned to this blog throughout the winter for updates (although less frequent) about conditions on Rainier and happenings related to climbing. Check out the route conditions pages for pertinent winter information about the mountain and high camps before you come out to climb.

Have a safe and enjoyable winter!

Snowy Again

2010-09-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Storms have dropped fresh snow on the mountain over the past few days. Be sure to check the forecast before you leave home and prepare accordingly. The skiing is improving!

Check out new conditions updates on the Disappointment Clever and Muir Snowfield.

Fall Hours Update

2010-09-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

Check out the updated ranger station hours now in effect. Remember, self registration will be available when ranger stations are closed. Please remember to register whenever you come to climb.

Autumn is Coming...

2010-08-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

As we push into late August the first signs of fall are starting to show themselves. Returning clouds, crisp days leading to cold nights, and fewer climbers are a familiar scene this time of year. We actually had some snowflakes fall on rangers the past couple of days, but the report from Muir today was of sunny skies, gentle breezes, and cool fall temperatures.

September is still a great month to climb, one of my favorites actually. Although the weather can be variable, it is still very pleasant for the most part. Climbing in September can also lead to a lot more solitude on a mountain where that is sometimes hard to find. Routes like the Emmons and the Kautz, which can be extremely busy during mid-summer, turn into full-on wilderness experiences in September. Something very notable about this year that is different from previous ones is that the routes still have a lot more snow on them than normally would be present in late August. This means instead of climbing glacial skeleton and having to wind around what may seem like endless fields of huge crevasses to reach the summit, climbers are treated to what can only be described as excellent climbing!

There are a few changes coming in the next couple of weeks of which climbers should be aware. One is that the ranger stations where you register to climb will no longer be open on their summer hours. After Labor Day the Longmire WIC, White River WIC and the Climbing Information Center will all still be open but on a more limited basis. Stay tuned for the exact hours,which we will be posting as we get confirmation on the schedules. Climbing rangers will be around throughout September, but on a more limited basis. So make sure to get your urgent questions answered by a ranger when you register.

Come on out and enjoy this next season change on Rainier. There is still a lot of climbing to be done, and watching the leaves change color from 14,000' is a pretty spectacular sight!

International: Round 2

2010-08-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Climbing rangers have second round of joint international training operations!

Last week we had the privilege of hosting a group of climbers from the Korean Mountain Rescue Association here at Rainier. A group of four climbers came over from Seoul, and spent a week with us on the mountain learning about how our climbing program operates within the national park. Their association has over 600 members who climb all over the world and promote climbing throughout Korea. Most of their time here was spent training in advanced rescue techniques with climbing rangers and climbing Mount Rainier. Word on the street is they can cook up some good food, and we think some stories might have even been exchanged, thus leading to a fully successful week.

Thomas Payne, our official liaison with S. Korea, shown here with three of our guests after coming down from the summit on a beautiful sunny day.

In Bloom

2010-08-17T10:16:00.001-07:00

So it's mid August, the sun has been shining and the remaining snow has been melting fast. This means that it is the time of year for blooming wildflowers! The subalpine meadows around Mount Rainier are home to many types of wildflowers, most of which are in the midst of flowering and adding beautiful colors to the landscape.

If any of you have been up climbing or hiking I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The Paradise Meadows have been ablaze with Broadleaf Lupine, Cascade Aster, and Pasqueflower Seedhead just to name a few. Paradise isn't the only place to see fields of red and purple though. The subalpine ecosystem that is home to these flowers surrounds Rainier and is usually found between the 4,500' and 7,000' elevations. This being said climbers are sure to notice hardy plants and flowers growing in the rocky areas of Rainier at all elevations. Look around and you will surely be amazed when you see a hummingbird feeding on a flower as you approach 10,000' on Steamboat Prow or Muir Rocks!

These are some pretty hard core plants that survive year after year while spending eight or nine months buried beneath snow and ice. The best way to keep these guys around for future climbers to see is by not stepping on them, so on your way up to high camp please be sure to set a good example for the rest of the parks visitors (yes they are watching!) by staying on the trails, and not walking all over the fragile meadows.

The photos on this post were taken by Steven Redman one of our Interpretive Rangers here at Paradise. Interps work in the visitor centers throughout the park and are a great resource if you are looking for non-climbing related information. They have the most current beta on everything from flowers and animals to park geology and history. They are always amped to help you out with all the questions climbing rangers can't answer!

One thing climbing rangers can say with authority is that climbing on the mountain is still great. Check out new updates on the Kautz and DC. Don't forget about Little T (with a side trip up K Spire!) along with the Tatoosh peaks as climbing destinations.

Don't Mess

2010-08-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Come to Rainier and see the "Biggest scissors you’ve ever seen.” It’s true. More people are impressed by these scissors than they are with the flowers, glaciers or the entire mountain! The conditions are excellent up here and after being inspired by “The Scissors” many climbers summited in the last week.

We’ve had a few wet and cloudy days down low lately, but the upper mountain has remained nice. The freezing level has stayed around 11,000' and is forecast to drop to 8,000' early this week, followed by high pressure and warmer temperatures.

As for general route beta, we would have used our scissors to span the crevasse pictured below, but instead there has been a ladder placed across it. The crossing shown is around 13,800' on the Disappointment Cleaver route. The guide services maintain ladders and other fixed gear at times along the DC. Before using any fixed gear you find, take a moment to check it out and not just assume the other guy made it safe.

If you recall last year the lower sections of the mountain were already melting out and exposing bare ice. Not the case this year, which means you should be here enjoying these terrific late season conditions. Come see our scissors and then get out and crush it!

500 Summits!

2010-08-06T14:18:00.001-07:00

It has been in the works since 1975 and last week early on a Saturday morning, mountain guide George Dunn reached the top of Mount Rainier for the 500th time! He climbed with his wife Nancy, son Jeremy along with friends Phil Ershler and Eric Simonson.

On the way up they had to fight through some tough wind and lightning, but were able to push on to the summit, helping George break his previous record of 499 summits! This is by far the most anyone has ever climbed Mount Rainier and he doesn't seem like he will be slowing down anytime soon.

George has been guiding for the past 35 years and has led many climbing trips throughout the world. His knowledge of climbing and of Mount Rainier specifically is a great asset to all of us here. He is currently a co-owner of International Mountain Guides, one of three guide services that operate full time here on Rainier. Our congrats go out to George and his family on this terrific achievement.

For more information about guided trips on Rainier check out these links, and for more information on Georges climb, including photos and videos click here.

Changing Seasons

2010-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't already heard, summer is fully upon us here on the Mountain. Since the beginning of this month we have had thousands of climbers and skiers coming out to play on Rainier. Looking around the mountain last week from the side window of a Chinook helicopter we saw evidence of people climbing and skiing almost everything around. There were ski tracks down all the standard routes, plus a good many down some more technical non-standard routes. This was pretty amazing considering all of it was happening in mid to late July, a time of year people usually put away their skis and stop attempting routes like Mowich Face and Liberty Ridge.

With all of the beautiful weather we have been blessed with over the past few weeks our large snowpack is starting to morph into its usual mid-summer condition. This means that while most routes on the mountain are still in very good shape and holding lots of snow, climbers may start to encounter some ice poking through the snow in steeper areas, and some crevasses opening up forcing climbers to do a little more routefinding and endrunning of large cracks.

Over the past week Climbing Rangers have been out climbing Mowich Face and Ptarmigan Ridge along with all the standards like the Emmons and DC. Reports have been of excellent conditions in all places. Want to get an early August ascent of some steeper west side routes? Now is the time! With great snow-free trail conditions making for fast approaches and snow still clinging to most everything above 10,000' the stage is set for some great climbing. Just be aware that with warm days rockfall and icefall hazard increases, so climb at night when it's cool and be aware of what and who is above you at all times. Ya know, like when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, when to climb and when to run. Speaking of running check out the fracture on Lib ridge below Thumb Rock! Although not normal at all for this time of year it is a testament to how much snow we have received and how warm the days have been.

Check out the new route updates and photos from the past week of climbing, training (always), and flying. Come on up and enjoy this seasonal transition with us here on Rainier!

Almost Ready!

2010-07-19T07:20:00.001-07:00

Anyone remember that flood that happened way back in 2006? There was a little damage to some areas of the park, with roads, trails and even whole campgrounds being damaged or disappearing entirely. The lower part of the Glacier Basin trail was one area that was heavily affected by the flooding, and for the last few years NPS trail crews along with hundreds of volunteers have been working almost nonstop on the new re-route of the trail.

Now to the fun part...

The first mile of the new trail is almost ready to be opened! Trail crews are working on the finishing touches like some beautiful bridges to keep your feet dry crossing creeks, and rock walls that not only look cool but actually add to the stability of the trail. They should have the trail open soon, although the actual opening date has not been set, so until they actually open it please respect the closed area so crews can work uninterrupted to get projects finished. For now enjoy some of these photos that rangers were able to take during our sneak preview the other day. Stop by the White River ranger station for the all the latest information on the Glacier Basin trail, or any other trail for that matter.

If you happen to come across a trail crew out working be sure to thank them for all the hard work they do on our many miles of trails here at Mount Rainier.

As for conditions on the upper mountain these days everything is in spectacular condition. Many groups have been out climbing and skiing all over the mountain from Ptarmigan and Liberty Ridges to the standards such as the DC and Emmons. All reports have been of excellent conditions. The sun has been out, winds have been mild, and fun is being had all over, so check out some of the new route updates get your gear together and come climb with us!

This Summer's Trends

2010-07-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting season so far. The weather has been a challenge, which has made avalanche conditions a challenge, etc...

Well, it finally looks like summer is here and the climbing is in really good shape for this time of year.

This spring was much cooler than normal. That caused the snow to not melt as fast. At the end of February, we were hovering at about 75% of normal snowpack at Paradise. Then the cool weather hit. By 4th of July weekend, we were at 200% of normal snowpack!

Indeed, the glacier monitoring program found almost 1.5 meters more snow at the upper stake locations than normal for this time of year (7.5 meters instead of 6.0).

Everyone can remember the cycles of snow and avalanche conditions we were getting in June! Crazy, but not entirely unprecedented.

Summer has arrived. Temperatures are up. The snow is consolidating. The climbing has been great.

But wait, there's more!

There's still a lot more snow than normal for this time of year on the upper mountain. Typically, each route "peaks" in its usage at a particular time. The non-standard routes like Liberty Ridge peak mid-June, while the DC and Emmons peak later in July and even early August.

The added snow and cooler conditions this spring and early summer has allowed snow to linger on the non-standard routes longer than normal. This has pushed the good snow/ice conditions we need to climb these routes into a time of year when there's better weather.

Take a look at this graph of this year's Lib Ridge usage:

The one consistent report from last week was that although there has been plenty of snow on the upper mountain, it has been loose and unconsolidated. This is often the case early season during high freezing levels / temperatures. Always evaluate your own avalanche conditions. Many a party has been hit by early summer, loose-snow, sun/heat affected avalanches in Fuhrer Finger, the Turtle, Disappointment Cleaver, etc..

Also, just a few interesting trends. Here's a graph of the last 3 seasons of climbing use up to mid-July. You can see that during the snow/avalanche cycle in June that usage this year wavered in mid-June. However, climbing is strong and we are on track to have one of the biggest years ever.

One other point to remember is that even though it may be cloudy down in the Puget Sound, it often may be clear up at high camp with beautiful climbing conditions. Look at the NWS forecast discussions for Paradise (http://www.weather.gov/ and type in Paradise, WA). At the bottom, you'll find the link to the forecast discussions. If they are mentioning things like on-shore flow and marine layer / push, then it is likely that the cloud tops are 7-10 thousand feet. These are usually stable conditions that indicate great climbing.

Don't let those clouds keep you from climbing!

Going International

2010-07-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

Looks like summertime is finally going to be with us for awhile. With nothing but sunny days in the forecast, now is the time to come out and crush the mountain! Conditions on the upper mountain are as good as they get for early July. Routes such as Liberty Ridge and the Fuhrer Finger that normally get a little thin this time of year are still holding lots of snow and should really be climbed a lot in the coming weeks.

Climbing rangers have been fairly busy over the past weeks with a number of tasks including climbing the mountain, training with the military, doing a couple of searches and rescues, and in our spare time trying to keep the toilets clean. One of the most special things that has happened in our world lately is that we have been able to host Ang Tshering Lama, a Nepalese climber, who was here as a guest ranger for three weeks in June. Ang spent time at both Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, patrolling climbing routes with rangers, taking part in our various trainings, and assisting in multiple rescues. If you were at Camp Muir or Schurman in the past few weeks you might have even caught a smell of the delicious food he cooked up for us during his stay. This is the third year in a row we have hosted Nepalese climbers in our program and we are very proud of our close relationship with their climbing community. Later this summer we will be hosting the Korean Alpine Rescue Team, so stay tuned...

Be sure to come by the Guide House up at Paradise, or one of the other ranger stations around the park, and say "hello."

Unusual Seismic Recordings from Mount Rainier Glaciers

2010-06-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is Steve Malone with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network located at the University of Washington in Seattle. We operate seismographs throughout the Pacific Northwest and have three located high on Mount Rainier. We often record seismic events from all of our glacier-clad volcanoes that we associate with glacier motion, i.e. "ice-quakes." However, since about May 20, 2010 we have detected a strange set of these events coming from the upper Winthrop Glacier. We are calling these small events "clones" because the seismic waveforms from one event are near-duplicates of those from other events indicating a repeating source. They also seem to occur at very regular intervals.

The interval between events is often as short as every 3 minutes but changes from time to time and has been as much as 15 minutes between events. We think that their magnitude (on the Richter scale) is about M = -1 (i.e., 8 orders of magnitude smaller than the Nisqually earthquake of 2001).

So, what are these puppies? We think they represent small periodic slips at the bed of the glacier. Perhaps there is a large rock embedded in the bottom of the glacier and as the glacier moves it scrapes this rock along the bed, only a few mm in each slip. But why are they so regular in time? Maybe water pools up-hill of the rock until it slightly lifts the glacier allowing the rock to more easily slip and this then drains that small pool of water starting the process over. We think that water has an important influence on glacier sliding but don't understand the mechanism very well.

How can you help? Anyone climbing Rainier on the east side (upper Emmons or Winthrop Glacier routes) may see or hear things that would help us pin these suckers down. Please let me know of anything you think may be out of the ordinary (sounds, sights, feelings???). Particularly those of you who have been in this area before and can compare what may be different from previous climbs. Our best guess where these originate (based on stacking 4000 individual events to get the best relative seismic wave arrival times at six seismic stations and using a 1-D seismic velocity model with station elevation corrections, blah blah blah, other scientific mumbo-jumbo) puts the location at 46.85950 north 121.7610 west (i.e., 2.5 km WSW of Camp Schurman or 3.4 km NNW of Camp Muir or about 600 meters up from the top of Russell Cliffs).

To see these suckers yourself check out our "webicorders" at: http://www.pnsn.org/WEBICORDER/VOLC
and click on the date-time for one of the high Rainier stations (RCS, RCM, STAR). The small blips that have about the same size and shape are our "clones".

Send email to: steve@ess.washington.edu or give me a call (206-685-3811)

Steve Malone

SPECIAL AVALANCHE STATEMENT ~ June 7, 2010

2010-06-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

View of Saturday's Avalanche Path from the Rescue Helicopter

Significant avalanche danger at higher elevations on the volcanoes, mainly above 7 to 8000 ft.

Several strong storm systems moving through the region last week produced increased accumulations of new snowfall at higher elevations on the NW volcanoes from Mt. Hood northward through Mt. Baker and in the Olympics. Water equivalents during this period ranged from an inch to over 3 inches, the storm likely produced new snow amounts of 1 to more than 3 feet above about the 7 to 8000 ft. level, greater at higher elevations and on southeast through northeast exposures where intermittently strong winds produced deep drifting. These new snow amounts taper quickly below 6000 to 7000 ft. with only minor amounts of a trace to an inch or so of snow recorded at the 5000 ft. level.

This weather has resulted in significant unstable snow accumulations at higher elevations on the volcanoes, especially on lee slopes where unstable slabs of 3 to 5 ft. or more may have developed over either previous crusts or some wet weak snow layers, depending on elevation and aspect. Most recent information from Mt. Rainier indicates that Camp Muir has received about 2 feet of snow, with 3 to 5 ft. drifts...especially on east exposures. Although only preliminary information on the recent avalanche accident on Mt. Rainier has yet been received, it appears that the avalanche was a human triggered 3 to 6 ft. deep hard slab, approximately 1 to 200 yards wide, and running about 1,200 vertical feet. Latest information indicates that the slide caught 11, fully burying or partially burying 4, one of whom remains unacccounted for at this time and is presumed dead. Mountain guides from other climbing parties in the area were able to recover three of those who were buried or partially buried, two of whom suffered injuries necessitating airlift rescue from the site with the third able to walk out with minor injuries.

This serious incident underscores the fact that the weather, not the calendar, dictates avalanche danger on higher elevations in any mountainous terrain.

Currently, a storm system moving through the Northwest should deposit an additional 4 to 6 inches or more of snow at elevations above 7 to 8000 feet along with moderate southwest wind transport helping to further load the steeper leeward side terrain. More showery weather anticipated late Sunday should be followed by decreasing showers early to mid Monday, with slowly clearing skies, decreasing clouds and brief warming likely later Monday and early Tuesday before another moderate storm system affects the area and brings another surge of precipitation and winds late Tuesday and Wednesday along with lowering freezing levels. As a result of both current and expected weather and avalanche conditions, travelers venturing into higher elevation terrain in the Cascades and Olympics should be conservative in their decision making, cautious in their route finding, and factor avalanche danger into their goals and route selection for the upcoming week...as very few goals or routes are worth injury or death.

Finally, extended range forecast models indicate that a strongly building upper ridge may begin to move over the region late next week. If models are correct, the associated sunshine and freezing levels of 10-12,000 ft. or more should make the storm snow that has accumulated in late May through early June increasingly wet and weak, with further significant avalanche activity likely. Please stay aware of expected weather over this time of transition toward a gradually more stable snowpack at higher elevations, and ratchet back both goals and expectations to help minimize potential avalanche involvement.

Please note that NWAC forecasts normally apply to elevations below 7000 feet outside of ski areas and adjacent to highways. However, owing to the recent avalanche accident on Mt Rainier, some additional snowpack information at higher elevations, combined with the unusually strong late spring storms buffeting the region, this statement has been issued to alert those venturing into higher elevations of the NW mountains that there is, in fact, an increased level of avalanche danger.

This statement will be updated as conditions warrant.

Mark Moore
NWAC Director/Avalanche Meteorologist

US Senate Honors Search and Rescue Personnel

2010-05-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

May 27th-Memorial Day Weekend

Winter still rules at Mt Rainier!!

We hope to see folks on the mountain psyched to climb and camp but please be prepared! GPS, map and compass, cell phone and a completed wilderness permit are all great tools that allow both climbers and rescuers a greater safety margin when the weather turns poor. Pack your Gore-tex and skis and have a good time with great winter conditions this weekend.

On Friday May 14, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Resolution 526, which honors the men and women who perform Search and Rescue (SAR) throughout the United States. The Resolution specifically acknowledges the role that professionals and volunteers provide to our country, and sets aside the week of May 16 to May 22, 2010 as National Search and Rescue week. Also, it encourages the people of the United States to observe and hold ceremonies and activities that promote awareness and appreciation of the role SAR personnel provide for their communities.

The Mount Rainier climbing community had a hand in making this possible, as our former Mountaineering and SAR Program Manager, Mike Gauthier, was one of the driving forces behind the Resolution. As you may recall, Mike left Mount Rainier to work in the US Senate last year. While at Mount Rainier, he participated in over 200 SAR incidents and had this to say about the Resolution, “This is a very personal story for me as my friends and fellow rangers, Sean Ryan and Phil Otis, died during a mountain rescue high on Mt. Rainier in 1995. Finding them on the glacier that day changed the trajectory of my life and career, and steeled my resolve to change the way we worked as climbing rangers. Being able to help with this resolution is part of my commitment to honor and remember them and their spirit.”

Mike and Central Mountain Rescue Volunteer Marty Lentsch have aspirations to eventually create a National Museum and Memorial for SAR. Said Mike, “some of the hardest, most valuable and rewarding moments of my time as a park ranger have been during search and rescue missions. I worked with many incredible people who gave their time and energy, sometimes risking their lives, in order to help others in emergencies. At Mount Rainier, the volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Association were very notable because they trained and prepared on their own in order to help the climbing, hiking, skiing and outdoor recreation community. So it is very appropriate that the US Senate, through our good friend Senator Maria Cantwell, acknowledge and set aside a week to recognize the work they, and the professionals from local, state and federal agencies, do in order to help people throughout the nation.”

Please pass this good news along and look for more information on how you can help. It will take time to organize and achieve a National Museum and Memorial, but it would be a fitting honor for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty and also for those who unselfishly give so much to help others in need.

More can be found about Sean Ryan and Phil Otis through books, and here is a link to the text of the Senate Resolution. Photo by Mike Gauthier.

~ DG

Ski of Dreams

2010-05-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

After spending 36 solid hours stuck in our tent at high camp, we were treated to fresh turns all the way back to Paradise.

Come Climb in the Sun!

2010-05-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Come take advantage of the upcoming week of good weather by climbing Mount Rainier! Check out some recent updates and photos of the Kautz, Fuhrer Finger and Thumb, and the Wilson Headwall. Everything is looking Fat! Should be fun...

Self registration is still in effect during the week, but the Climbing Information Center will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Photos will be up shortly...

Guide House Opening 2010

2010-05-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend the Guide House will be open for climbing registration. If you come up on Saturday or Sunday to climb on the south side of the mountain, please register in person at the Guide House in Paradise. We'll be open 6:00 AM till 3:00 PM both days. If you're coming up outside of that time frame the self-registration box will still be in place in Paradise at the Old Station.

The Guide House will be open everyday starting May 29th. Check out the permits, registration, regulation link to the right for more info. Also, if you're planning to climb an east- or north-side route, look to that route's condition page for current access issues.

Climbing ranger staff has still been busy in pre-season trainings. Last Monday Mark Moore from the Northwest Avalanche Center, NWAC, came up to the park to talk meteorology with us. He gave a great presentation mostly regarding the weather around Mount Rainier. The NWAC website is a great resource for all climbers thinking about climbing a route on Mount Rainier. Please make use of all the excellent online weather resources available. Check out the weather link to the right for some starters. The image to the right is from the UW's MM5 model for this Friday at 17:00.

Spring Training

2010-04-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Arlington Ashby attends to a mock patient

The climbing ranger team has been busy this spring with a number of trainings. We kicked it off with a highly productive week of rope rescue instruction led by Leo Loyd of Rigging for Rescue. The following week we focused on EMS ( emergency medical services ) skills, with one day of instruction from Remote Medical International followed by a day of training with Pearce County Fire EMS. Returning lead climbing ranger Glenn Kessler who gave us a day of rescue training geared towards professional avalanche rescue. Tucked into this busy schedule was a highly enlightening half day presentation by Mike Moore of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center on mountain weather. We are all looking forward to getting out of the classroom and climbing on the upper mountain with the first available weather window. Training is great but climbing is better.

DG

Climbing Reservations, Facts and Tips

2010-04-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Reservations for climbing and wilderness permits opened on March 15th. By April 1st, we had a stack of over 1000 forms to process. We're not complaining, and keep them coming, but know that we are processing these ASAP and it is likely that your confirmation letter is or will be in the mail shortly. If we are unable to make your reservation due to camps being full, you will receive a letter giving the reason and you will not be charged for climbing passes or the reservation fee. Some common problems that will slow processing of your request are: not attaching the supplemental form if you have already purchased climbing passes, leaving out dates or camps, illegible credit card numbers, or omitting your credit card's three-digit security code, now required on the new version of the form (if you have an old form, please enter the three-digit code after your card number).
If the dates of your trip can be flexible you will be more likely to get your requested camps. Also if you can be flexible with the requested campsites, it allows us to modify your itinerary to accommodate your trip. While desirable for requests made for trips during midweek, these two options help considerably on the weekends.

For forms and more Info go to:

http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wilderness-reservation-information.htm

Rainier After the Storm!

2010-04-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

After receiving nearly 8 ft. of snow over the past week at Paradise,

the mountain is looking particularly PHAT!

(View from the Tatoosh)

Getting into the Season

2010-04-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

The seasonal climbing ranger staff is back after a great winter of climbing (check out these photos), ski patrolling (shredding locally), tending bar (stop by), and even studying (learn to forecast here).

With all of the recent spring snow we've been getting (and needing!) visitors have been out skiing almost everyday. Avalanche conditions have been varying a lot lately, so make sure to check out conditions before dropping in. Use the "weather" link to the right to see the most recent info.

We'll be updating all of the routes for 2010 and adding logistical information (where to get your permit, when the ranger stations are open, when roads are scheduled to open, etc.) in the next couple of days. Check out the previous years posts on the "Updated Route Condtions" blog for early season route conditions from 2009.

See you on the mountain soon!

News from Nepal

2010-02-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Climbing ranger David Gottlieb, and former ranger, Joe Puryear, are back inside the Himalayas again. On January 31st, it was announced that they were recipients of the 2010 Mugs Stump Award. Check out their blog for updates and pics of their adventure. Be sure to send some positive vibrations their way.

Also, the 2010 Khumbu Climbing School in Phortse, Nepal has been in session this spring. This annual school, held in late-January through early-February, was founded to "increase the safety margin of Nepali climbers and high-altitude workers by encouraging responsible climbing practices in a supportive and community-based program." Check out their website here. The Mount Rainier Climbing Ranger Program has hosted many Nepali climbers in the past seasons, and looks forward to working with them in the future.

With President's Day fast approaching it's time to get out and enjoy the cold, fresh, winter snow before the warmer spring days start. Bring your skis, safety stuff, and partner. See you on the slopes!

Paradise to Muir - 2010

2009-12-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

December 29th, 2009

I just did a nice check on Camp Muir this morning. I left Paradise at about 9:00 a.m. It was a little chilly. I was really surprised how few skiers were actually out. Kudos to the brave soul who marched up the Nisqually and skied the chute solo. Style.

First things first. Attention everyone. There was a wicked layer of surface hoar that didn't get any sun action today before the clouds started rolling in. It's going to get buried. There are all sorts of facets in the snow in the top 20 cm. What's worrisome is that the surface hoar is growing on a layer of sun crust. Underneath the sun crust is another layer of facets. Check out the snowpit profile.

Click on the image for a better, more readable size.

Expect these faceted layers to remain intact on all aspects for a while.

So the rest of the trip to Muir was outstanding. Skiing was 7 out of 10, for the windswept snowfield, anyway. The new snow that is forecast should make the skiing even better.

One thing I want everyone to be aware of is what we call the "Ant Trap". Remember that sand pit that Luke got thrown into by Jabba? Well, this is kind of like that.

It's located right next to McClure Rock. Click that picture to the right and note the coordinates on the bottom of the photo: -121.724123 46.808050 (WGS84). Plug that into your GPS and avoid it like the plague.

Many people have been eaten by the Ant Trap and more than a few have broken bones because of it.

Things are looking good at Camp Muir, albeit there is a lot of snow. Remember you'll have to dig your way into the upper half of the middle toilet. So plan on a little shoveling before you are moved to use it!

Also, remember if you're coming up to climb, to stop at the Paradise Old Station (the A-frame in the upper parking lot) and self-register. You can also pay the 30 dollar climbing fee to the 'iron ranger' there as well.

A storm was quickly moving in, so I had to ski-dattle. Down at Paradise, the parking lot is completely full! Hundreds of cars and sledders.

December 23rd, 2009 - Sweet Turns at Paradise!

This is it. Finally our snowpack at Paradise is back to normal at 78 inches. The rain from the last warm spell has stopped and we have up to 18 inches of new snow that has consolidated and another 5 inches of pretty light snow on top of it.

I started up the road this morning after we opened it at around 08:00 am. The light on the mountain was absolutely spectacular. It was clear and there was a little bit of surface hoar when I went to the weather station this morning. Here was the weather obs:

High: 22 Low: 16 Current: 22 Precip: .02 New: Tr Total Snow: 78" Winds: N @ 3-4.

We had our morning chores to do, cones in the parking lot, bumping sign and bamboo in the snowplay area, then folks started coming in droves.
The snowplay area is open and the runs are fast. However, because there's relatively little snow, we can only put one run in. The lines are a little long. Remember to get out of the run when you've come to a stop!

About noon we headed up towards Pan Point. What's this? It's noon at Paradise on a sunny day and there's no tracks? Where are all the skiers? Gary Voigt was up making turns in upper Edith Creek below McClure.

We've been telling people for years that the right way up Pan Point is in the trees on the nose. However, sometimes I think you're better off just going up the gully. We should've. The south facing part of the nose of the ridge was a little wet and heavy. It was starting to crack as we got onto steeper ground >40 degrees.

Always evaluate your own avalanche conditions!

We crested the ridge and decided to head for the top of Pan Point at around 7200 feet.

I was still surprised to see no tracks up above us since we had such a late start and the Paradise parking lot was FULL.

Whatever, the more powder for us.

Well, the way down was fabulous. My favorite run is to cut underneath McClure Rock. It's a little less exposed to the cliff bands around Pan Point. I rarely find avalanche conditions out this far. However, I did notice a crown feature on those cliff bands back down towards Pan Point. East facing, steep, ridge top... no surprise.

However, out where we were, the snow was outstanding.

Once we hit the flats to the east of Pan point, we traversed down the top of Mazama Ridge until we got to a slope locally known as Bundy's Blunder. It's just upridge of Sluiskin Falls. There was some slide deposition on it from the sun action today. It was only 4-5", but wet and heavy. It was enough to carry us, so we traversed out a hundred yards to the right and merrily made sweet turns all the way to the Paradise Valley Road.

Here's the latest weather history comparison:

Date 12/23

Max Recorded Snowdepth at Paradise 166 inches

Year of Max Recorded Snowdepth at Paradise 1916

Historic Average Snowpack at Paradise 77.9 inches

Current Snowdepth at Paradise 78 inches

Percent of Normal 100.13%

Percent of Historic Max 46.99%

Average Hi Temp: 32

Today's Hi Temp 22

Average Lo Temp: 21

Today's Lo Temp 16

Come on up! It's good!

Winter Conditions and Forecasting Resources

2009-11-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

What's this cold, wet, white stuff that's piling up all around us? Ah, yes. I remember. It happened last year at this time, too. Winter recreating and climbing on Mt. Rainier can be really enjoyable. However, a thorough weather forecast is very important.

Here are some thoughts on the weather and Forecast Resources.

To most people, weather is something you look up at from ground level. To climbers, pilots, and other people who get outdoors, the weather can be above you AND below you. You're often IN those clouds that others are looking up at in the city. What to the sea level viewer is a cloud is fog to you!

It's VERY important to have a good weather forecast when you climb Mt. Rainier. The weather rules the day and will rule your climb, especially this time of year. The weather has proven itself to be one of the biggest contributing factors to situations requiring rescues.
Here are some of the websites that I religiously check before my climb, and before I register climbers. In general, you should be particularly concerned about clouds, precip., temperature, and winds.

Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast
For a good and quick weather briefing, start off with the Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast. It's specific to Mt. Rainier and put out by the forecasters at the National Weather Service forecast office in Seattle. This usually gives the freezing levels, too.

UW Atmospheric Sciences GFS Forecast Models
Instead of portraying atmospheric information on a horizontal plane, the following site loops at 3 hour intervals and shows a vertical slice of the atmosphere from the Mt. Rainier area in a southwest direction. On the left are pressure-altitudes. Although the altitude at which a specific pressure is encountered will vary depending on current atmospheric conditions, at "standard" pressure, 1013 mb is sea level, and 1000 mb is roughly 360', 900 mb is about 3,240', 800 mb about 6,400', 700 mb about 9,500', and 600 mb is about 13,800'. Consider that Paradise is at about 5,500', Muir at 10,000' and the summit at 14,411' and you will be able to see at what elevations the clouds are forecast to be! Pay particular attention to humidities, as Mt. Rainier tends to intensify already high humidities and produce clouds.

Temperature-Winds Aloft Forecast
Next up is the temperature-winds aloft forecast from the FAA interpreted by usairnet. This is usually for pilots, but climbers would be wise to pay attention to it. Remember, these are theoretical forecasted wind speeds and directions. You can adjust the forecast period at the top of the page. I have found from personal experience that the winds are often greater than forecast and temperatures are warmer.

Wind Profiler
Another good site to assess regional winds aloft is the wind profiler showing wind speed and direction at Sand Point (Seattle).

Here is a primer in reading this data: Wind is shown in the vertical from sea level to 3,500 meters (about 11,500') given on the Y axis. Data is posted each hour on the X axis with the most recent readings on the left side of the diagram. Time is UTC which is 8 hours later than PST, so 02/18 isn't February 18 but rather February 2 at 1800 hours, or 1200 PST. North is represented by the top of the diagram, south by the bottom, etc. For example, if a line is coming from the left and ending at the vertical time line, that is a west wind (270 degrees). Each full barb on the shaft of a vector represents ten knots, each half barb is 5 knots, and a solid triangle is 50 knots, so a "barb and a half" is about 15knots. Ten knots is about 11.5 mph. Of course local winds may vary, but wind at 10,000' is going to be quite consistent with simultaneous wind elsewhere at that altitude in the region, whether measured at Sand Point or on Mt. Rainier.]

NWAC Mountain Weather Forecast Page
In the winter, the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center produces the best weather forecast discussion because it is specifically geared toward recreational purposes in the mountains! You can also, of course, read the avalanche forecast here, too.

Camp Muir Live Weather Telemetry
Paradise Live Weather Telemetry
Also, with love from the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, I help maintain a weather station at Camp Muir. This is always fun to check. Although the wind instruments often rime up and cease to function, the temps. are usually pretty accurate.

Paradise Experimental Weather Forecast
And finally, here's a page I find extremely useful. It's an "experimental" forecast interpretation based on Paradise.

Get a weather radio, if you can, for getting updates up on the mountain. NOAA weather radio broadcasts decent mountain weather forecasts on 162.425MHz, 162.45MHz, 162.475MHz, and 162.55MHz.

Hope that helps!

Longmire to Paradise on the Wonderland

2009-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

This just in from someone who walked from Longmire to Paradise...

November 10, 2009

Left Longmire around 8am with two friends on the Wonderland trail to Paradise.

Best weather possible- mostly clear, no rain until we got off the trail. Twice I stood in the sun.

The trail is snowless up to the Nisqually river. Here's our first unintentional departure from the trail. We meandered north to find a good crossing, as we didn't see any trail on the other side.

After 20 minutes with all three of us across, we took out a map and compass and decided we had gone too far north. 5 minutes of bushwacking brought us onto the trail.

When you cross the river, cross right where the Wonderland trail ends on the east side. The trail continues just up the rise, I promise.

Some bear tracks and a fair amount of deer. No wildlife seen, if you don't count the elk near Ashford on the way up.

After another mile or so and some postholing we decided it was snowshoe time. My first time using them.

I now love snowshoes.

The next 2 or 3 miles were quite pleasant up to Narada falls.

we then departed the trail again. We discovered that there are waist, nay, armpit height drifts behind the comfort station and the road to Ohanapecosh.

We traded off breaking trail, hoping to spot the 'real' trail any moment.

We didn't.

We did trade off leader for a while. Breaking trail where you go in knee dip at minimum is rough going.

We finally saw a road to our right. Steep, but we knew that would lead us to Paradise eventually.

This was where we found the armpit high snow. I shudder to think how we would have gotten up sans snowshoes. Swimming through snow, perhaps?

Trekking poles were helpful for the river crossing, but essential here.

Once on the (unplowed) Ohanepecosh road, we followed a cross country ski route back to the road to Paradise. After searching near the bridge for the trail without luck, we looked at the time (nearly 2pm), and decided prudence dictated we start back.

We all agreed we would try hitchhiking to our car at Longmire.

The first person we asked drove me down, I gathered the rest, and off to Elbe for food.

About 6 miles total. Excellent weather, until we got to Elbe, when it started to pour.

A great snowshoe route. Not advisable with just boots.

Next: Longmire to Muir, return the next day to Paradise. Contingent on weather, of course...

Self Registration

2009-10-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Climbing Information Centers have closed for the season. Self registration stations are located at both Paradise and White River Ranger Stations. The process is simple and painless: 1)fill out the registration card, 2)rip off the stub and take it with you, 3)buy a climbing pass and deposit fee envelope in the metal canister, 4)grab some blue bags, and 5)be on your way. On your way home check out by leaving the stub in the box and the ranger station, as this prevents annoying phone calls from us at 6:00 a.m.

For general park info and road conditions call 360-569-2211.

If you would like to talk to a climbing ranger during the off season we can be found at places like Indian Creek, Zion, and Joshua Tree.

Have fun. Be safe. Wax your skis and pray for snow!

Autumn Rolls In...

2009-09-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Autumn started last week with a heat wave. High freezing levels and cloudless skies brought the temps up and the climbers out. Plenty of guided parties and independent climbers summitted last week. As the snow continues to melt, interesting objects around the mountain have been appearing. Climbing Ranger Cliff came upon some old aviation wreckage on his patrol last week.

The conditions are still okay for late September. Approaches to the standard routes (Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons/Winthrop) are icy and have crevasses, but are definitely passable. Wintry weather can change climbing conditions quickly. The National Weather Service forecast read "The first storm of Autumn will begin to affect the region late Monday with cool and damp weather lingering through most of the week." Hopefully a week of stormy weather will bring decent skiing conditions.

Sunday, September 27th is the last day the Climbing Information Center will be open for the 2009 season. Self-Registration in Paradise will be open through the winter.

Crushing It

2009-09-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last week was warm on the mountain - and the forecast is for record temps early next week. Climbing on the mountain has been heating up too. A former climbing ranger, Chad Kellogg, was seen mashing up and down the mountain - three times in a row. His earlier tour this summer (climbing from White River up and over the summit, down to Paradise, and back in less than 24 hours) was just the beginning of the triple header throw down. Round three has yet to be rung in.

A helicopter was up on the mountain Wednesday afternoon for what was thought to be a climber with a broken leg. The injury occurred at 12,800' on the Emmons Glacier and the patient was flown from a flat spot just below. All rescuers and the patient made it down safe and sound.

Check out the recent updates on both the DC and Muir Snowfield. While skiing conditions have gotten worse, climbing conditions have improved.

Autumn Climbing

2009-09-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

A small break of warm and clear weather, after the major storm cycle, let multiple teams summit early this week. A climbing ranger climbed on Saturday morning and reported 'great-for the end of the season-conditions' on the DC. Climbing rangers at Camp Schurman had a similar report about the Emmons/Winthrop route.

End of season operations are underway. Helicopter flights for refilling propane tanks and human waste removal occurred last week over the mountain. Stairs to the half-doors on the public shelter are being put in place and the solar dehydrating toilets at Camp Muir will be closed. The larger ADA compliant vault toilet with a half-door will be opened at Camp Muir for use during the winter.

Be sure to double check registration requirements for the dates of your climb. The transition from summer registration regulations to winter registration regulations has begun. See the regs. link to the right for more info.

Fresh Snow

2009-09-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Post Labor Day weekend storms have delivered new powder to the mountain. Big swings in freezing levels and large volumes of precipitation will bring dynamic conditions to the mountain. Come prepared for a variety of challenges.

Seven days of stormy weather and complex conditions have shut down both independent climbers and guided parties from reaching the summit. Check out updates to the DC and Muir Snowfield for photos and current conditions. Photo taken from Camp Muir during a stormy sunrise.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

As the last major weekend of the summer approaches things are getting quieter on the mountain. We've had lots of climbers summit even with late-season conditions. The weather has been warm and dry for the most part. Leaves of the deciduous trees are starting to change in the valleys below making for spectacular views from the upper mountain.

End of season operations are beginning next week. Climber self-registration will start on weekdays beginning Tuesday. See the climbing permit/regulation page for further information.

See you on the mountain.

Message from park superintendent

As we look ahead to the fall season, we are excited about the PBS debut of the Ken Burns’ film The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. The 12-hour series starts on Sunday, September 27 and runs for six consecutive nights. I think this will be a powerful series and is going to be a great showcase of the National Park Service, its purpose, its places and its people - I hope all of you will have an opportunity to see it. Check out pbs.org/nationalparks for film clips about the series, e-postcards that can be sent to friends to tell them about it, and other information.

Randy King
Acting Superintendent

There's Climbing To Be Had!

2009-08-13T11:39:00.001-07:00

As we look to the high pressure on its way, the climbing conditions are improving all around the mountain. The Kautz, Disappointment Cleaver, and the Emmons-Winthrop routes are the key routes being climbed at this time of year (the first two approaching from Longmire/Paradise and the last from White River). Check the Route Conditions for more detailed updates on these routes.

With the freezing/snow levels of the past week, the upper mountain has a 6-12 inch bed of fresh snow. Conversely, melting on the lower sections (i.e., Muir Snowfield, Inter Glacier) is exposing crevasses and bare ice in some spots. Please use caution travelling through these sections of the mountain - we recommend crampons, ice axe, and a rope above Moon Rocks (~9000 feet).

After the Heat Wave

2009-08-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

With July's heat wave becoming a memory, we look forward to cooler temps on the upper mountain. Freezing levels have dropped back down to ~12,000 feet. Check out the Route Conditions on your intended climb for updated reports.

Phu Nuru Sherpa volunteers with Climbing Rangers

2009-07-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

The Mount Rainier climbing rangers at both Camp Schurman and Camp Muir were honored to have a special guest volunteer with us over the past two weeks in Phu Nuru Sherpa. Not only is Phu Nuru a strong, talented climber with an extensive climbing resume, he's also a fun, light-hearted man who everyone enjoyed working with. Before arriving at Mount Rainier, Phu Nuru also volunteered with the Denali climbing rangers, patrolling North America's highest peak with one of our own rangers, David Weber. Phu Nuru is visiting the United States for a variety of rescue trainings on scholarship from the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation (http://www.alexlowe.org/).

Phu Nuru, a resident of Phortse, Nepal, has an extensive climbing and guiding resume that includes four summits of Mt. Everest (29,028'), eleven summits of the sixth highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu (26,864'), and climbs of twelve different 6000 meter peaks in the Himalaya. He is also a senior instructor at the Khumbu Climbing School which is held every winter in Phortse to train local guides in technical mountaineering, rescue, wilderness medicine and English language skills.

While on patrol at Camp Muir with climbing ranger David Weber, Phu Nuru enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the summit of Mount Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route. A majority of his time on patrol was spent practicing technical rescue, avalanche rescue and wilderness medicine skills with Weber. During his stay at Camp Schurman, Phu Nuru not only climbed the Emmons-Winthrop route but he also participated in an impromptu day of mountaineering rescue training (see photo) taught by lead climbing ranger and veteran rope rescue instructor, David Gottlieb.

Phunuru will spend the month of August enrolled on a mountaineering course in the North Cascades of Washington State to compliment his mountain rescue apprenticeship. Upon his return to Nepal later this fall, Phunuru plans to continue collaborating with Weber, the ALCF and Dr. Luanne Freer (http://www.everester.org/) to develop a similar rescue program on Mount Everest to respond to accidents during the spring climbing season.

Mountaineering aside, the cultural and social exchange between the climbing rangers and Phu Nuru benefitted everyone involved and we hope to host many more Nepalese rescuers like him in the years to come!

Great weather!

2009-07-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

With July moving right along, the mountain is seeing some of the best weather of the season right now and fantastic climbing conditions. Climbers are getting out and making the best of it. There's plenty of fun climbing to still be had all over the mountain.

Lately, a lot of climbers have been having success on the Emmons-Winthrop route (see photo). It's in great form right now and a nice option to consider when planning your trip. Come out and see us on the mountain!

Egan on National Parks

2009-07-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

"From that graveyard to the glaciers of Rainier, this land, this history, is a shared birthright. But we are absentee owners, at best, if we don’t create a new generation of stewardship..." Timothy Egan on creating a new generation of national park stewards. Check out the whole article here.

There are many opportunities to enjoy Mount Rainier this summer. Get involved in one of the many climb for causes, invasive plant pulls, or just come up for a hike with your family.

Around Paradise the snow has been melting at an exponential rate. Alpine fauna and flora have been returning as fast as the snow is melting. Late July can be the most photogenic time of the year in the park. Come on up and enjoy the views. Don't forget your sunglasses and sunscreen; winter parkas are also a must, even in July.

Early July

2009-07-07T09:02:00.001-07:00

The first week of July has brought lots of action to the mountain. We've had three major rescues, a handful of carry-outs, and plenty of minor injuries to keep us busy.

On Wednesday, July 1st, our co-worker and friend Sam was hurt while skiing on the Emmons Glacier. His surgery on Saturday went smoothly and he was discharged from the hospital Monday. Our thoughts are with Sam and his long road through rehabilitation.

Saturday an independent climbing team was traversing onto the Disappointment Cleaver when one of the team members was struck by falling rock. His party was able to walk him back to Camp Muir. He was treated and then flown off by helicopter on Saturday morning.

Saturday night a different independent climbing team ascended the Kautz Glacier route to the summit. They decided to bivy around 13,000' on their descent when one of their party members began showing signs of HAPE. His condition worsened overnight and the party decided to traverse over to the DC route and descend to Camp Muir for help. High winds prevented transport via helicopter. Rangers and guides assisted in helping the party and injured climber down to Paradise where he was transferred to the hospital by ambulance. [ed.: HAPE is a life-threatening condition for which the immediate action is descent as rapidly and efficiently as possible].

With all of the injuries this last week we're stressing safety. Please be careful on the mountain. Use conservative judgment when putting yourself into a committed situation. Historically mid-July has held the best chance of success for climbers attempting to summit, but the possibility of rapid storm development and the changing physical conditions on the route, compounded by altitude, should always be paramount in a climber's mind.

However, with both the Emmons and DC still in great shape it's a good time to climb. Come on up and enjoy the best season on the mountain!

Full Swing

2009-06-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

The first couple of weeks in June of higher pressure and mild temperatures enabled many climbers to reach the summit. The climbing season has reached its full swing and it looks to be a great one.

Climbing rangers have been out again this last week on patrol. Look for new route reports on both Sunset Ridge and Little Tahoma as well as updates on the more standard routes.

June is coming to a close with weather more reminiscent of last year's June. Wind-accumulated snow drifts have been shin deep in spots. The new snow has skiers and snowboarders out again trying to get in a couple more turns.

Historically July holds some of the best weather and conditions for climbing. Hopefully this July will follow suit. See you up on the mountain...

Early June

2009-06-06T06:33:00.001-07:00

With June upon us, we find ourselves at a crossroads of the season. Many early season routes are still seeing traffic (like Liberty Ridge), while later season routes (like Disappointment Cleaver) are beginning to get attention.

Approaches are becoming easier, as the consolidation of the above average snowpack in the sub-alpine areas is taking place. White River is up and running, and Paradise is melting down to the point that you can find the buildings more easily!

Check out the Route Conditions for updated trip reports and conditions on routes all over the mountain.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

With the great weather and long weekend lots of climbers have been summitting. We've had successful summits via the following routes: Kautz Glacier, Tahoma Glacier, Liberty Ridge, Fuhrer Finger, Ingraham Direct, Emmons Glacier, and Gibraltar Ledges. The daytime sunshine has also been turning icy glaciers into good corn snow for great riding/skiing. The snow in Paradise still reaches the parking lot making for fun descents.

Climbing ranger David Gottlieb has just returned to Mount Rainier after another successful first ascent in Nepal. He and former climbing ranger Joe Puryear climbed Jobo Rinjang (6,778 meters). Check out http://www.climbnepal.blogspot.com/ for more information and some rad photos.

The weather continues to look clear and sunny for later this week. Come on up and enjoy the routes while they're still in great condition.

Putting in the Glacier Stakes

2009-05-16T17:14:00.001-07:00

Good news for climbing this year at Mt. Rainier!

Many of you may have seen the white schedule-40 PVC pipes in various locations on the mountain. These stakes are installed using a steam drill and a big frothing wand to put an 8-9 meter long stake into the snow down past the layer of glacier ice.

When we put the stakes in, the snow depth is measured from last year's late fall layer. This year, all of the way up the Nisqually and even at 11,100' on the Ingraham, we have measured an amount of snow comparable to most years at this time.

This is good news for climbers. Many of the non-standard routes rely on Mt. Rainier's typical snowfall to make the route endure long enough into the summer for climbers to take advantage of the better weather.

The project's aim is to analyze the mass-balance of the Nisqually Glacier. One of the things that we have learned from this project is that the Muir Snowfield at about 9,700 feet has lost about 1 meter of ice each year for the past six years. Many of you may have noticed the rock rib that has been exposed just down from Camp Muir at about 9,700 feet!

The Glacier Monitoring Program is coordinated by the geologist at North Cascades National Park. Many of the Pacific Northwest's glaciers are incorporated into this study. Field crews from North Cascades National Park and Mount Rainier National Park are involved in the project.

Valor Award for Climbing Ranger and Guide!

2009-05-04T14:10:00.001-07:00

The National Park Service has finally decided to recognize Chris Olson and Dave Hahn with a valor award and citizen's award for bravery, respectively.

In 2002, Nick Giguere and I had been lowered in on a jungle penetrator from a Chinook helicopter to a serac just below Liberty Wall. We hiked up to just below Thumb Rock where the injured climber and their party were waiting for us.

The second helicopter brought in RMI guide Dave Hahn and Chris Olson, an NPS climbing ranger, to assist us with the lowering from Thumb Rock. As the helicopter was trying to land, it slid back on the snow, lifted off the ground for a short period while it spun around 540 degrees and crashed into the snow. It was one of the scariest things I've ever seen in 20 years of working for the park service.

The helicopter nosed in and lurched foreward. From 1500 feet above, the snow looked like it was spraying in all directions in slow motion. The main rotor bent down, touched the snow at mach speed, then broke with pieces flying off at 300 miles per hour in opposite directions. Finally the tail rotor broke off and swung around crashing into the main cabin of the helicopter.

Within two minutes, drenched in jet-A, and almost crushed by the transmission that came through the roof of the cabin, out jumped Chris, Dave, and eventually the pilot, unhurt.

There were no other helicopters available for a long time. Chris and Dave gave themselves a once over, and hiked up to our location. Since Dave was a guide, he took care of getting the rest of the party down the mountain. Chris's specialty is high angle rescue, so he took the position of litter attendant. Nick and I lowered Chris and the injured person in one long 1000 foot lowering.

Not often does someone crash in a helicopter, get out un-injured, and then take on a crucial role in a technically demanding high-angle rescue situation. It was truly amazing.

Chris and Dave will be honored in Washington, D.C. this week. Finally.

Mt. Rainier Climbing - Map Interface

2009-04-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

Move the map around, zoom in and zoom out, click on the routes for information.
Scroll down for recent posts on routes, or look to the right for direct links to the routes.

Snowy March

2009-03-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

March is ending with a bang! Lots of snow (over 40 inches) has fallen at Paradise over the last week. A few definite layers remain in the snowpack, but it's consolidating quickly. The road crew has been working hard to keep the road from Longmire to Paradise open.

Activity-wise, it's been relatively quiet because of all the stormy weather. Only a couple of guided climbing groups were able to enjoy the sunshine from above the storm clouds this week. Lots of reservations are pouring into the information center. Make sure to send them in soon - they're processed in the order they're received. Check out a couple of new route condition updates here. See you in April!

Conditions Update (March 13, 2009)

2009-03-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

I just went up to Camp Muir on Thursday, the 12th of March. What a beautiful day! There's an obvious inversion in place right now. Longmire was a bit of an ice-box, but up at Paradise it was warm and sunny.

There's a good 10-15 inches new that is settling with the sun each day. South facing slopes are balling up and pin-wheeling down. There were people who were just booting it up without snowshoes or skis, but it didn't look as pleasant.

Once atop Pan Point, there was much less snow. The current bootpath up the snowfield is a little left of where it usually is, but there's a little less fresh snow over there, so it's more firm and windswept.

On the way up, I saw one of the largest ice-avalanches from Nisqually Ice Fall that I have ever seen. It went clear from about 11,200 feet to about 6,300 on the Nisqually. Amazing white powder cloud. It's an obvious good thing to remember that we're not "safe" from ice fall hazard on the lower Nisqually.

The rest of the trip up to Muir was good with no wind. There was less and less snow the farther you went up. Sastrugi was predominent from 9,400 feet up to Muir. The upper mountain appeared to be in IDEAL shape for a summit. I'd really like to hear from anyone who made it up this weekend!

Enjoy!

Paradise Road Damaged!

2009-01-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Updated Winter Access to Paradise

The washout approximately 6 miles above Longmire at mile 12.4 on the road to Paradise (just above the Nisqually Bridge) has been rated to be acceptable for 1-way traffic by the Federal Highways Administration inspectors.

Mount Rainier National Park has arranged for weekend and holiday access to Paradise. There will be one-way-at-a-time traffic operation with a flagger at milepost 11.3 (Glacier Bridge chain-up area) and another flagger up above at milepost 13.3 (Canyon Rim Overlook). Expect about a 5 to 10-minute wait for cars to pass each way before the opposite direction traffic is allowed.

Overnight use, climbing, and backcountry camping are allowed, but your trip itineraries need to be limited to these periods that the road is open to the public (weekend and holiday periods).

Updated: January 31st, 2009 The NPS is trying remain flexible about road closures during the mid-week. If the weather forecast for the day looks good (clear and sunny, or at least no snow forecast), we are currently making a strong effort for the road to be opened to the public. This means that if the forecast looks good, you should be able to plan a climb!

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays the road will close each evening at 5:30 p.m. No traffic is allowed down or up the road after the road is closed. The road crew typically is able to re-open the road sometime between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. each day, depending on the amount of new snow received during the night.

Listed below are good guidelines to follow regarding estimating when the road may open. Please bear in mind that these estimated times are by no means a promise, so your patience is requested. Many variables exist that determine when the road is ready to open. Snow density affects plowing operation, with lighter snow being easier to move. Wind is another factor, since drifts and wind-packed snow take longer to remove. A large front-end loader or extended times with a blower are often needed to remove avalanche debris. How many plow drivers are on duty is a yet another factor. But generally, at Paradise:

0-3 inches of new snow: 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. opening
3-6 inches of new snow: 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. opening
6-10 inches of new snow: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. opening (avalanche danger may be an issue with this much new snow)
10-15 inches of new snow: 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. opening (avalanche danger may prohibit the road from opening at all)!
15 inches or more: The road may remain closed either due to snow removal problems or due to avalanche danger!

It is very important for visitors to realize that during or for an unspecified time after heavy snow periods, the road may not open at all. Be flexible! To make the best use of time at Rainier during these periods plan an alternate trip itinerary, perhaps to a backcountry destination such as Eagle Peak, Indian Henry’s, or even up into Van Trump Park and onto the upper mountain via the Kautz Glacier Route!

Don't forget to pick up a climbing or backcountry permit and a climbing pass at the Longmire Museum, open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

Have fun, stay out of avalanches, and be safe!

Results from MLK Weekend

2009-01-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

What a weekend! Although the wind blew a little more than I was hoping, I think a good time was had by everyone.

Here’s the rundown on the park’s visitation over the weekend…

Cars Entering the Park Through Nisqually Entrance
1/17 (Saturday) 532 cars
1/18 (Sunday) 586 cars
1/19 (Monday) 400 cars (approx)

This is around 3500 people, many of whom skied, snowshoed, and climbed. People just day skiing reported various conditions, largely dependent on aspect, elevation, and time of day. But reports of nice spring corn were often the case. However, the road is open right now, but when I got here at 10:30, there entire parking lot was empty!

On the upper mountain, there a slight inconsistency with what people register to climb, and what they actually end up climbing, but here’s how it shakes down from the computer’s perspective:

1/17/09 to 1/19/09

Route------# Climbers------# Summits------%Success

DC-----------4-----------------2----------------50
FF-----------4-----------------2----------------50
GL-----------14----------------11---------------78
ID-----------8-----------------5----------------62
LT-----------5-----------------0----------------0
NIF----------2-----------------2----------------100

A 60 percent summit rate for this time of year is absolutely fabulous. I was psyched to see so many safe climbs.

And thanks to you who sent in route conditions reports!

Grab Your Ice Axe and Head for the Hills!

2009-01-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

All right folks, this is it! You can ski 7,500 feet of vertical this weekend at Paradise!

First the hype.

Rarely during the winter does the weather turn so nice for so long! I made a run from just above Ingraham Flats (11,500') to Longmire (2,700'), and that's almost 9,000 feet in one run. As you'll read later in this post, I wouldn't particularly recommend skiing the lower 1,500 feet, but 7,500' isn't too bad, is it? With this intense temperature inversion in effect, it may be warmer at 5,500' than at 2,700'. In fact, at Camp Muir on Thursday morning, the temperature was 46 degrees! I could almost smell this coming weekend's barbeques in the Paradise lot, the sun tan oil, and the kids having a great time in the newly groomed snowplay area.

Now the beta.

The snow is setting up and developing into good corn. On the way up from Paradise this morning for a patrol to Camp Muir, the snow was set up enough to walk on with just boots (around 10:00 a.m.). The skinning was great, until I got to just below Pan Point. It was set up enough that it took two tries to get up a particular pitch I was trying to ascend. If you're going up early, I'd recommend a pair of crampons and an ice axe.

Just about everything was skiable in the Paradise area today. The snow is nice and smooth, but BEWARE! This afternoon's heat was bringing down small wet loose avalanches in steeper gulleys. Read the latest avalanche report from the NWAC: http://www.nwac.us/

Edith Creek Basin looked awesome and smooth. Mazama Ridge really looked nice. Once through the gauntlet at Pan Point, the rest was just a beautiful skin up to Camp Muir! The ski penetration eventually got to around 1-2 inches. That's nothing compared to slogging up in waist deep snow.

Once up to around 9,000 feet, the snowfield becomes badly pocked with sastrugi, and we're talking BIG sastrugi features. Not fun to ski through. If you're up on the Muir Snowfield, remember, it's always a good idea to have the "bearing sheet" for the compass bearing, if the weather should turn bad.

Camp Muir is open and ready for business. The toilets are shoveled out. The public shelter is accessible. Would someone please shovel the snow out that's drifted inside? Be aware that I tested the public radio, and it seems to be dead. I shoveled snow off of the solar panels on the roof. This may solve the problem. Bring a Verizon cell phone just in case of an emergency. Remember you need a backcountry permit (free) if you are just staying at Camp Muir and not going above.

I made it up to Ingraham Flats in a turtleneck T-shirt. Now that's rare for January! I was able to skin right up to the top of Cathedral Gap, but on the traverse past the Gap, just to be safe, I took the skis off and put the crampons on. But I could've walked with my crampons all the way from Paradise. Once I was back out on the glacier, the skis went back on and I was able to skin up to about 11,500' before it was time to turn around. The snow was nice styrofoam. If you're interested in heading up above Camp Muir, remember you need a climbing permit and a climbing pass whether your purposes are just skiing or climbing.

The ski down was great through Cathedral Gap. In 10 minutes I was back at Camp Muir. I left Muir at about 3:00 p.m. I skied through this terrible sastrugi that I described above, but then I dove off down the Nisqually Glacier. It goes! For those of you interested in skiing down the glacier, remember to bring along a friend and some extrication gear. The snow was getting soft in the afternoon making crevasse falls more likely. Since you're on a glacier, technically you need a climbing permit and a climbing pass.

I hit it at about 3:30, when it was a little on the soft side. Who knows how things will be this weekend, but I would try to stick it a little earlier. The slopes above on the Nisqually Cliffs were getting some warm sun. Be weary of avalanches coming down, and especially rockfall! Beware of a lot of little rocks and pebbles in the snow.

Once down on the flat part of the Nisqually (around 6,400 feet), I was surprised at how fast I was able to cruise. I crossed over to the west side of the glacier, and skied down the nose of the glacier to the terminus. It was very soft, a little too soft. I had my first biff. From there it was a cruise to the bridge. Bring a friend with another car for the ride back up to Paradise!

I continued skiing the Nisqually River bed down to Cougar Rock Campground where I caught the Wonderland Trail for the rest of the push to Longmire. All in all, I skied just about 9,000 feet of vert. But I wouldn't recommend this last bit from the bridge on down. With a few creek crossings and some wet feet, it was a bit of a jungle boogie.

In a nutshell, the skiing, the climbing, the sledding and/or just suntanning at Paradise looks great this weekend and if you're from Washington, you'll know that we need to take advantage of this!

First Ascent of Kang Nachugo by Climbing Rangers

2008-11-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

In mid-September, one of our lead climbing rangers, David Gottlieb, took off for Kathmandu on a climbing trip through the Himalayas. David's climbing partner, Joe Puryear, is a previous Mt. Rainier climbing ranger and friend. Their goal was a first ascent of Kang Nachugo (6,735 meters), found within the Himalayan Valley of Rolwaling. Joe set up a climbing blog, so that friends, fellow climbers, and family can stay up-to-date on their progress. We all waited patiently for news of their climb and verification of their safety. Thankfully, a post on October 25th stated simply that they were successful and were safe. Their blog now has a full trip report, complemented by some amazing pictures - definitely worth a full read-through. We just want to say "Congratulations" to both Joe and David, while wishing them safe travels home. We hope to see you on the Mountain soon!

Winter Registration Information

2008-10-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Fall is officially here and winter is not far on its tail. Mother nature has already brought rain, snow and high winds to the Mountain -Paradise received about 4 inches of snow over the past 24 hours and we're expecting both significant rain and snow over the next few days. The National Weather System has put out a winter weather advisory for the next few days; we're expecting 6" - 10" of snow from this evening through Wednesday and then the freezing level is rising to between 8000' - 9000' and we could receive potentially 6" - 14" of rain. Sound eeriely familiar...? Check out some of the photos from blogs on the flood of 2006 to refresh your memory. Let's hope no such catastraphe befalls us this year.

Currently, the road to Paradise closes at Longmire only when the freezing level drops to below 4000 ft and precipitation is expected. The gate at Longmire will begin closing nightly at 5:00 pm once the weather turns toward consistent freezing and snow (usually around Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter). The road re-opens in the morning only after our road crew has come through and cleared the road of snow and then deemed it safe enough to drive. There is a sign on the gate, which states the estimated time of opening that day. During the winter, traction tires are needed for travel in the Park at all times and drivers should always carry tire chains in case of road restrictions during inclement weather. For weather forecasts and/or road updates call the Park's information line at (360) 569-2211 and select #1.

Climbing registration processes also change in the winter. While you wait for the gate to open to Paradise, climbers can register and get updated weather and avalanche forecasts at the Longmire Museum - open daily from 9 am until 4 pm. On weekends and holidays, climbers can go to the JVC II, which is open from 10 am until 5 pm. Self-registration is also available up at Paradise (NOT Longmire), located outside on the porch of the old ranger station. However, it is still preferable that climbers register in person to ensure the park has all necessary information about a climbing party and their itinerary, which allows park staff to respond more effectively in the case of an emergency.

Overnight parking this winter up at Paradise is not yet solidified, but most likely there will two locations - one in the upper lot across from the Paradise Inn by the old station and the second overflow lot will likely be in the lower part of the lower parking lot, facing the center island snowbank (same location as last winter). Check back to the Overnight Parking blog in the Access and Roads section for winter parking updates; and if you still have questions, feel free to ask a friendly ranger at the Entrance Station or Longmire Museum for details on where to park at the time of your visit.

Rangers staffing the Museum at Longmire and the JVC are helpful, informative and eager to assist with your needs, but they may not be a climber. Unfortunately, climbing rangers are not on staff regularly this time of year either, so before you come to the park, be sure to check this blog for updated climbing information and route conditions. For questions and/or issues regarding this blog or related to climbing at Mount Rainier, call the Climbing Program at (360) 569-6009 or contact Mike Gauthier at the email provided at the bottom of this page. Any general inquiries or questions specifically related to park policy or procedures can be directed to the Longmire Museum at (360) 569-2211, extension 3314 or by email at MORAinfo@nps.gov.

Enjoy the Fall while it lasts and since sunset is now MUCH sooner, be sure to start those hikes and climbs earlier to take advantage our limited daylight. See you on the Mountain!

Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center II

2008-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 10th, the second reincarnation of the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center was opened to the public and dedicated to the highly regarded and revered Washington State Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson. Funding for the original saucer-shaped visitor center (check out the image to the right - a distinct likeness of the old JVC and a flying saucer taking off into space) was guaranteed much to his hard-work and dedication, so it was only fitting that the new visitor center also carry his name. Peter Jackson (the son of Henry Jackson, not the director) spoke at the ceremony, highlighting his father's love of wilderness, his desire to protect our country's most precious spaces, and to create enjoyable ways for people to learn from and enjoy these amazing places throughout our country and this state. The ceremony drew big-wigs from Washington (D.C. that is), including the Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Representative Norm Dicks of Washington's Sixth Congressional District, and the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks. Other distinguished guests included local Nisqually tribal elder Zelma McCloud, National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Jon Jarvis, the aforementioned Peter Jackson of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, an elder representative from the Consolidated tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation; yours truly of course and another famed NPS persona, Mike (Gator) Gauthier, dressed to the nine's in his class "A" uniform, and several hundred other attendees at the ceremony.

The new 'green', energy efficient JVC II is architecturally designed to match its surroundings and the historical park style, referred to as 'Park Service Rustic'. The feeling of the building when you first enter is dictated mostly by the space, due to the height of the ceiling and massive windows that line the entirety of the wall, naturally lighting the surroundings. However, it could also have something to do with the weird climber want-to-be mannequin placed high atop the climbing display. A feeling of comfort is there too. Above you are post and beam rafters, held together with cast iron fixtures and signs made from a menagerie of dark metal and wood. Overall, I was impressed and I think the sentiment was shared by most.

If you missed the grand opening, fret not, as you will have ample opportunity to view the building on weekends and most holidays, including the winter/holiday break from December 20th through January 4th. And as has been the tradition up at Paradise for many years, Ranger-led snowshoe walks will begin at the new JVC (snow permitting) on December 20th. The two public walks (12:30, 2:30) are approximately 1.5 miles in duration and last less than two hours and are moderate to strenuous. The walks are an amazing opportunity to experience the Park and Mountain in the wintertime. The adjacent photo was taken this past winter as I was returning from one of my group snowshoe walks - a beautiful view of the old JVC at sunset.

The opening of the JVC II means one more VERY important thing....re-opening our beloved Climbing Information Center (CIC) up at Paradise next summer. The CIC will function as it did before; climbing rangers staffing the desk will issue climbing permits and sell climbing passes, provide up-to-date route and snow conditions, weather forecasts, advice and as can only be expected from climbers (and NO ONE else) when they are awake and moving at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday - perhaps some witty banter as well. See you all on the Mountain!

Autumn in Paradise

2008-10-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going to reveal a little about myself to you all in this here blogpost. . . . I Love Fall!

There are so many things about this season that I cherish. I love the changing colors of leaves, the smell of cinnamon baking together with apples in a pie, the smooth, creaminess of butternut squash soup (one of my favorite fall dishes).... and what better time to go for a hike then on a chilly day in October - wrapped in a fleece, wool hat and gloves, with few people around, it's hard to not enjoy these types of days. The latter is how I spent last Sunday, walking among fall foliage, listening to the birds overhead retreating south for the winter (they don't know what they're missing!) and the occasional rustle of branches as the deer grazed the final savory green bits before they too head down hill into the depths of the forests, protected for a while from the incoming nordic weather. My goal was simple - scout out the first half of the hike to Muir for the blog and report back to all our adoring fans (that's you) and be done. But my hike offered so many beautiful views and such a dynamic experience I couldn't leave it at a simple "Snowfield & Camp Muir Update".

So much is happening this Autumn at Paradise, it's hard to keep up -- every week is something new. Last week the old Jackson Visitor Center was closed, after almost 40 years in service to the public. Now this Friday is the "Grand Opening" of the NEW Visitor Center, also dedicated to Henry M. Jackson, the famed Washington state Senator. The dedication ceremony is open to the public and begins at 3:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to join us, along with some distinguished guests that include the Secretary of the Interior, our Regional Director and representatives from several local tribes, in celebrating this momentous occasion. The doors of the visitor center open to the public at 10 am on Friday. Building tours will be held at noon, 1:00 and 2:00 pm, leading up to the dedication ceremony, which starts off with the cutting of ribbon and finishes with the cutting of cake. If you have to miss the festivities, no worries, the new JVC will be operational on weekends from 10 am until 5 pm. Check the Park's most up to date Tahoma News for events and additional operational hours during the holiday season.

On Sunday, though, I cared little for the built infrastructure, being more interested in my natural surroundings. I have been away for several weeks and am amazed at the dramatic changes on the Mountain. I found it difficult to put my camera away; clicking away at the flora adorned in yellow, gold and fire-engine reds; the lush green of grasses and fluorescent moss sticking to small snow-melt falls; and surprisingly, an active amount of fauna foraging for food, also enjoying the beautiful day. Bears have been a common sight up at Paradise, but they usually are easy to scare and often flee once spotted. However, on my way down I noticed a group of visitors and several rangers eyeing a young cub that was fearlessly gorging himself within view of the Paradise Inn (And many spectators!). The cub's multi-colored hair was fitting, giving off a retro look, as though this capricious young cub had purposely highlighted his hair blond and spiked it up in defiance. The presence of law enforcement was a sign that the National Park takes their policy on NOT feeding wildlife very seriously, which is a ticketable offense at Mount Rainier and carries a fine of up to $100. View animals from a distance and please DO NOT feed them.
~ Keep Wildlife Wild! ~

Not only was I able to enjoy the splendors of Autumn, but I also received a glimpse of Winter - not far away it seems. Recent precipitation brought snow above tree line, creating a stark contrast on the hillsides; a white band above and green below. Within a mile or so of Paradise you can walk from Fall into Winter, it's quite an amazing experience really. Snow coated the ground from well below Panorama Point and then up, covering the recently turned red leaves of shrubs and lingering flowers that managed to keep their petals this long.

On my descent, several folks inquired as to the 'views'. Hikers may not have seen Mount Rainier on Sunday, but there was plenty more out there to enjoy, you just need to take the time and look. I only wish I had been going further along up the trail to Camp Muir. Conditions there this weekend were snowy and windy, but many times the clouds parted above, exposing a starlit sky and tranquil surroundings. With few climbers going up this time of year, anyone in search of some peace and quiet and a way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, will enjoy the solace at 10,000 feet. Just be prepared for some cooler weather and snow. Check out recent conditions posted about the Disappointment Cleaver route.

Enjoy the photos posted in the blog, better yet, come on out to see it all for yourself.

The Jackson Visitor Center finally closes its doors

2008-09-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Without too much fanfare, the Jackson Visitor Center closed its doors to the public today, September 28th, 2008. The NPS is replacing the facility with a new Jackson Visitor Center, scheduled to open (with much fanfare) on October 10th.

For curiosity and fun, I hung out near the main doorway as the final visitors exited and walked away. Over the past two weeks, a public reader board noted today’s significance by counting down the days. Next to it was a hand drawn picture of the space saucer shaped visitor center blasting off into orbit above Mount Rainier. As the front doors were finally locked, you could see rangers and concession employees giggling and smiling inside.
Before the doors closed, I spoke with about one dozen visitors. Interestingly, most didn’t know before arriving in the park that today was the Jackson Visitor Center’s “last day.” Those who did primarily lamented the loss of the 360 degree view from the observation deck, and why wouldn’t they? Today was perfect and the sun was showing off as it slowly slipped behind the mountains and down the Nisqually Valley. The day had been clear and surprisingly warm for late September.

A small crowd cheered as the family (above and left) was informally proclaimed “the last visitors to the JVC.” By the way, there is nothing official about this distinction. It’s just that the doors were promptly locked behind them as they left. Turns out, they were from Puyallup and cruised up in a restored 1969 Cougar to say goodbye. Here is TNT reporter Jeff Mayor talking with them. Note the smiles.

Anyway, now we're just wondering: what sort of welcoming will the new JVC get? More after October 10th.

Jackson Visitor Center - Final Weekend to Visit!

2008-09-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yup, the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (JVC), whose design has been loved, hated, and debated since its opening in 1966, will welcome its last visitor on Sunday, September 28. It is closing to prepare for the demolition and move to the new JVC, which will open at 10:00 a.m. on October 10th. Between September 29th and October 9th, the Paradise Ranger Station (in the upper lot) will serve as the main NPS contact point at Paradise.

Here's some background on the now infamous "space saucer" of Paradise. The NPS commissioned its construction as part of a 10-year effort called MISSION 66. MISSION 66 set out to improve infrastructure and visitor services for NPS in time for its 50th anniversary in, guess what, 1966. The Paradise visitor center was originally known as the "Paradise Day Use Facility" until 1987, when it was re-named in honor of Washington Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson. "Scoop" had originally secured congressional funding for the project and personally selected the architects.

The future of the oldJVC is significantly less promising. With the initiative to build a new visitor center came the $880,000 contract to demolish the JVC and rehabilitate the lower parking lot. Sometime late next year, you should be able to park your vehicle near the current information desk or bookstore. If the weather holds, this fall the contractor intends to start salvage operations of reusable materials and also carry out removal of fuel tank and hazardous materials. Final demolition will begin in the late spring of 2009 and will be completed by the end of the summer.

NOTE: If you're visiting the park this weekend, September 27 and 28, there are no entrance fees. The NPS is waiving fees on Saturday in celebration of National Public Lands Day and on Sunday in honor of newly naturalized United States citizens. The JVC at Paradise will be open from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. through Sunday the 28th. Come on by, because it's your last chance to lounge in those creamy orange couches and chairs.

The need for more speed!

2008-09-22T17:03:00.001-07:00

For those anxious readers interested in yet another story of a climber who has set yet another new 'unofficial' round trip summit speed record, please read on. For the rest of you who are tired of hearing of such drivel, we suggest you continue reading anyway and perhaps you still may find the story interesting. Besides, how can you ignore such an amazing feat? A person climbs to the summit of Mount Rainier in under 3 1/2 hours, and then descends to Paradise in just over an hour, resetting the speed record to 4 hours, 40 minutes and 59 seconds.

For comparison, it takes most folks 5 hours just to make it UP to Camp Muir, never mind to the summit and back to Paradise again in less time! Can you imagine the feeling of being lapped on a day hike by someone who has summitted? Then again, the person running past you on the Muir Snowfield is Guillermo (Willie) Benegas, an international guide, sponsored member of the North Face team, and highly accredited guide with the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Benegas' climbing portfolio is impressive. Among other credentials, he has been a guide with Mountain Madness for 10 years and is the previous speed record holder on Aconcagua... Oh yeah, he's climbed Everest seven times and leads expeditions up numerous peaks over 26,000 ft.

For more information and an account of the ascent by Benegas, check out his interview in The News Tribune.

How will climate change affect our National Parks?

2008-09-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

The topic of climate change took exceptional relevance here at Mount Rainier after the floods and wind in November of 2006 caused significant damage throughout the park(check out the Mt. Rainier N.P. report documenting the flood's damage), forcing our gates to close. This was not the first storm that hit this park hard, nor will it be the last. There is a high likelihood that future storms will cause similar damage (if not worse) and climate change will have as-of-yet even greater undetermined impacts on the park's resources. The result of this event and uncertainty brings into question the ability of the federal government to sustain long term access to places such as Mount Rainier from an economic and ecological standpoint. Obviously, this issue has implications for us all - recreationalists, admirers, climbers, skiiers, and just anyone living in a town near the park.

How will climate change affect Mount Rainier National Park? Well, this is the question that many are beginning to ask. You can be a part of this discussion on Wednesday, September 3, along with a panel of experts in climate change, outdoor recreation, economics, wildlife and roads and trail construction (among others). The evening's event, co-hosted by the Washington Parks and Forests Coalition, is titled, "The Way In: The Future of Access to Northwest National Parks". Panelists will focus on global climate change and how it will affect our national parks, especially Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks. This panel discussion is free and open to the public.

This event is co-hosted by the organizations from the Washington Parks and Forests Coalition, which include National Parks Conservation Association, Washington Trails Association, and the Student Conservation Association. For more information, contact David Graves at dgraves@npca.org or 206.903.1444 x25.

Labor Day Weekend and Beyond...

2008-08-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

I swear summer just arrived in the park about a month or so ago and now it already feels like fall. Sure, it isn't fall YET, as the equinox isn't until Sept. 22, but those folks who have spent a day or two up on the mountain recently may argue that fall is in full effect. A quick check of telemetry up at Camp Muir over the past few days shows below average temperatures this week. In fact, the thermometer didn't go above 50 degrees and in addition to the cold, the wind speeds have steadily averaged 30-40 mph, with spikes reaching 63, 66 and 71. Brrr...

Average high and low temperatures for the month of August at Paradise are generally 63 and and 43 degrees respectively. These days, however, visitors on Rainier are donning fleece jackets, wool hats and even a scarf or two - one doesn’t need a thermometer to guess that the temperatures have been closer to our average lows than highs. With Labor Day Weekend ahead, let’s hope this trend doesn’t extend much longer. A look at the extended forecast provides some hope, but we'll see... Perhaps next week will be different?

Speaking of next week...The public shelter up at Camp Muir will be closed from Tuesday, September 2 thru September 9th. The closure is to complete historic renovations and repairs to the buildings. Therefore, all climbers should be prepared to camp - all parties will need to bring their own shelter. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Some pros and cons to this colder and also wetter weather:

Pros: There is new snow on the mountain, so things are looking beautiful with the fresh coat of snow. The DC is still in great shape (check out the new conditions report), unlike last year (check out our archived 2007 DC fall route reports). Remember that climbers had to veer way out onto the Emmons Shoulder and descend below the Cleaver to climb back to Ingraham Flats.

Cons: Alpine Ascent International (AAI) guides reported that it snowed over a foot on the mountain last Tuesday and Wednesday. The drifts were as high as 3 feet too! Fresh snow on the route meant that climbers will once again have to be cautious of avalanches. AAI kicked off a small slab on their descent through Cathedral Gap BUT it wasn't large enough to wipe out a person... Still, we have concern and want you to know.

So everyone, be prepared for cooler temps, rain at lower elevations and snow on the upper mountain. This shouldn't be a problem for those Pacific Northwest souls accustom to this sort of climate, but those visiting from other places (that actually still enjoy summer temps well into September) should be prepared for the wintry conditions.

Summer Snowfall and Slush Cup

2008-08-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine an unsatiable hunger for ski and snowboard "turns all year" (TAY), a slushy snow slope, a pond and some folks dressed up to the nines in costumes resembling some of Stan Lee's worst superhero nightmares? Give up?...You get the 6th annual Snow Cup! Last Sunday, skiers and boarders gathered on Pinnacle Peak to enjoy some of the last remainders of the summer snow atop Pinnacle Peak, then skiing or boarding down the slope into the waiting pond below (Brrr...)

The TAY enthusiasts will be excited to know that this week's stormy weather (though a disappointment for those climbers stuck on the mountain) brought plenty of fresh snow to the upper mountain, coating the routes and improving conditions for more summer climbing and turns. We heard that it snowed about 6 inches up at Camp Muir, and the wind created snowdrifts almost a foot high in spots! Rangers climbing up Disappointment Cleaver on Friday morning report that climbing the cleaver was much easier than it has been over the past few weeks, and the DC remains in great condition.

Slush Cup was a lively event once again - those folks throw quite a party! Participants almost equaled their spectators, and even the climbers perched atop Castle Peak enjoyed the entertainment, as the costumed skiers and boarders skimmed across the tarn at the base of Pinnacle. Afterwards, the crowd gathered at Reflection Lakes for a tailgate party, feeding skiers and hungry tourists alike.

The TAY crew searches out the best that Mount Rainier has to offer, hitting its creamy white slopes every month of the year. The best part of the whole event - they leave nary a trace of being there. They display love and appreciation for the Mountain and respect for the Park...well done! We look forward to the 7th annual event and will keep our eyes open for the invite next time.

Speed climbing and the Super Sherpa

2008-08-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

This summer has seen a flurry of interest in climbing Mount Rainier FAST... Justin Merle set the pace by breaking Chad Kellogg's record (4 hours 59 minutes) by 10 minutes on July 11th. His friend and colleague, Liam O'Sullivan, raised the bar a few weeks later by sprinting up and down the mountain (Paradise to summit and back) in 4 hours 46 minutes, besting Merle by 3 minutes... Last week, Lhaka Gelu Sherpa threw the gauntlet down in hopes of smashing that record. With 13 Everest summits under his belt and a previous Everest speed record (the current record is held by Pemba Dorje Sherpa), Lhakpa certainly had the credentials to do it. But his well-publicized attempt was thwarted by nasty leg cramps on the descent (something that Liam also met with on a prior and unsuccessful ascent) and so our "Super Sherpa" will have to try again another day. I suppose that we'll see him again, and other speed climbers too... But any takers better move fast, as the route is beginning to change in ways that make rapid movement harder and more challenging (but it's still great for the masses that take 2-5 days, so don't worry).

We've also been getting questions about timed ascents to Camp Muir. So for your information, here are a few facts. In 1994, Climbing Ranger Scott Wanek ran from Paradise to the high camp in 51 minutes! Not bad, eh? Most people can't even ski DOWN that fast. But don't feel bad if your normal one way time is something like 4-6 hours, because Scott also had run a personal best 4:11 mile. Of course, Wanek's record had to be broken too, and it was done last year by Climbing Ranger Andy Anderson. Andy quietly posted a 46 minute one way ascent to Camp Muir! Yup, 4,500 feet of gain in 4.5 miles. So what did you do in the last 46 minutes? Michael Phelps might be smashing Olympic records, but it seems the Rainier records are meeting a similar fate this summer too.

Post by Monica and Mike