Emmons-Winthrop 5/30/26

The Emmons-Winthrop route is in good shape and has been providing climbers with a generally straightforward and direct line to the summit. As always, this is an unmaintained wilderness glacier route and conditions can change quickly with warm weather, wind, clouds, and daily melt-freeze cycles among other factors. Teams should continue to make their own terrain assessments, especially around crevasse crossings and snow bridges.

A route to the Summit on 5/30

The trail to Glacier Basin is nearly completely clear of snow. The Inter Glacier still has decent coverage with fairly planar surface conditions on our spring snowpack. Moats are beginning to become more pronounced, though no open crevasses have been observed on the Inter Glacier at this time. 

After crossing the Inter Fork near Glacier Basin

Looking up at the Inter Glacier

At Camp Schurman, climbing rangers and volunteers have been busy digging out the ranger station and bathrooms. Both bathrooms are now open and operational. However, there is not currently a Blue Bag barrel at Camp Schurman. Parties should plan to pack out all blue bags in addition to their trash, and waste. Pack it in - Pack it out!

Approx Route on 5/30

Above Camp Schurman, the route is generally direct. Surface conditions have been firm with a diurnal and variable melt freeze crusts below 12,000ft and wind-packed cold snow higher on the route. Warm weather over the past several weeks has affected the snow below 12k.

Between 11,900 feet and 13,100 feet, there are five to six notable crevasses beginning to open. Some parties have chosen to place pickets to protect their rope team through these crossings. Teams should take time to evaluate each crossing, consider the consequences of a snow bridge failure, and use appropriate rope travel and protection techniques for the conditions they encounter.

~11,900' (Taken 5/30)

~12,150' (Taken 5/30)

~12,400' (Taken 5/30)

~13,100' (Taken 5/30)

Above 13,000 feet, the route remains direct toward the summit. The bergschrund is currently well bridged, allowing for a more direct line than is often possible later in the season.

There have also been many successful ski descents of the Emmons and Winthrop Shoulder routes recently. That said, firm conditions and variable melt-freeze surfaces have created challenging conditions for skiers. There have already been incidents this season of skiers falling large distances after losing control. Skiing Rainier is a serious undertaking that requires more than expert skiing ability. A high degree of skill and experience in traditional mountaineering, glacier navigation, and crevasse rescue is essential. Parties are advised to not blindly follow old ski tracks, as conditions may have changed or other parties may not have taken a safe route. Falls in this terrain can be highly consequential or fatal.

Skiers should be prepared to take skis off and rope up when conditions or terrain require it. Teams should carry the equipment and have the practiced skills needed to deal with an un-roped crevasse fall, protect exposed crossings, and transition safely between skiing and climbing.

Warm weather and strong sun will continue to change the route. Climbers and skiers should expect snow bridges, moats, and surface conditions to evolve quickly through the day and from one day to the next. Start early, manage overhead and crevasse hazards carefully, and be prepared to adjust your plan if conditions have changed.

Ingraham Direct Route Update 6/2/26

    

Looking up from Ingraham Flats. The Ingraham Direct is center frame, the Disappointment Cleaver is the climber's right.  

A week of pleasant, early summer weather with clear skies and modest freeze levels has kept the Ingraham Direct climbing well into the first week of June. The route as of 6/2/26 is still entirely snow covered above Camp Muir. Cathedral Gap is melting out quick and will soon present the first few patches of dry ground to navigate. As a reminder during this season of melt out, we recommend groups shorten their rope lengths when moving across dirt and rock to prevent knocking rocks down onto parties below and avoid stopping under cliffs where you are exposed to rock fall. 

The Ingraham Glacier between 11,400 and 11,800 remains the most dynamic section of the route, with widening crevasses and some weakening snow bridges. The number of crevasses is dense in this section of the route. 

Depending on the size of your team and rope spacing, it is entirely possible that one end of your rope team is encountering a new crevasse/ladder crossing while the last member is navigating the previous feature. There are 3 ladders and numerous pieces of fixed protection throughout this section. This section of the route is the most sensitive to warm weather and teams should be prepared for the possibility of any of these crevasse crossings to fall out either prior to their ascent or to find them uncrossable a few hours later while descending. 

A ladder crossing on the Ingraham Glacier on 6/2/26

The terrain mellows out for a few hundred feet before ascending steeply to Camp Comfort at 12,700 ft. Above Camp Comfort, the route encounters one more large crevasse and a steep, exposed snow slope near 13,000' before easing back to the summit. This crack at 13k is currently bridged well but may widen with warmer weather. There is ample fixed protection through this crevasse and steep slopes above. 

Sections of the route with steep slopes, ladders, and fixed protection tend to create traffic jams on busier days. Please be respectful of other teams on the route, communicate with each other, and plan in some extra time on your climb for traffic jams.   

Conditions tend to change quickly this time of year. Guides are still favoring and maintaining the Ingraham Direct as of 6/2/26, however a few days of warm weather may render the ID unfavorable at which time more effort will be directed at the Disappointment Cleaver. Stay tuned.

Be sure to check out our previous Ingraham Direct blog post from 5/26/26 for more information on driving access, climbing registration, and the Camp Muir approach, as well previous route conditions. 

Ingraham Direct Route Update 5/26/26

Sunrise behind Little Tahoma from Cathedral Gap on 5/23/26

Climbing Season is fully underway at Mt. Rainier! Parties have been successful on multiple climbing routes, and skiers have been venturing around the upper mountain as well. When the weather has been nice, the Mountain has been busy. The information below will set you and your team up for success from the Park Entrance all the way to the Summit.

Getting Here:

Both the White River Entrance and Nisqually Entrance stations will be busy on the weekends. Plan your entrance to the park to avoid peak times or budget extra time to get into the park. Highway 410 and Highway 123 are open, as is the White River entrance and Steven Canyon entrance stations. The White River Campground is open for the season as well.

Registration:

All climbers must register for their climb In-Person either the day of your climb, or up to 24 hours in advance. Self-registration is no longer accepted. Register at either the Paradise Wilderness Information Center or the White River Wilderness Information Center. Both of these stations are open 7 days a week from 0730-1700.

Visit the Park's Climbing Page for detailed information on paying the climbing fee, registering for your climb, and obtaining the required wilderness permit.

Route: 

Paradise to Pebble Creek (7,200 ft) - you'll find intermittent snow coverage between Paradise and Pebble Creek. While you'll predominately travel on snow over this section, there are significant portions of trail melting out. Do your best to pay attention to trail markings and avoid walking on fragile plant life.

Muir Snowfield - Above Pebble Creek the snowfield is in typical springtime condition, with no running water. Warmer days with full sun have zapped some climbing parties on their ascent to Camp Muir. Be mindful of sun exposure and be diligent with hydration.

Camp Muir - Ample space exists for pitching tents on the snow. You'll find 2 open bathrooms east of the helipad, and 2 open bathrooms on the far west side of camp. A blue bag barrel exists near each set of open bathrooms. Pack out all trash and keep your tent site clean for the enjoyment of future parties.

Ingraham Flats - The route across the Cowlitz makes a gentle ascent to Cathedral Gap, which is snow covered. Rangers found few open crevasses between Camp Muir and Ingraham Flats.

The Ingraham Direct route on 5/23/26

Ingraham Direct - From the Flats, the route ascends the Ingraham Glacier towards a crevassed section with 3 ladder crossings beginning at 11,600. Each ladder crossing was short, just a few steps, and had hand lines and fixed protection to facilitate running belays. Understand that these ladder crossings can be choke points on the route that make passing parties difficult. Above the last ladder at 11,800, the route continues up the Ingraham glacier to Camp Comfort at the top of Gibraltar Rock. A steep headwall section below Camp Comfort also has fixed pickets for running belays. These can be useful with the proper rope interval spacing between climbers. Please allow descending climbers to pass and be aware of other parties on the route. 

One of the three ladder crossings around 11,700 ft on 5/23/26

Handlines and fixed pickets provide extra security at ladder crossings (5/23/26)

Camp Comfort to the Summit - Cross a snow bridge over a crevasse directly above Camp Comfort, which leads to another steep pitch with fixed pickets. Above here, the route follows gentle switchbacks to the Crater Rim at Guide Rock. There were few open crevasses above 13,000 feet, but evidence of some sagging snow bridges could be seen.

Descending towards Camp Comfort, looking down the Ingraham Glacier on 5/23/26

Descent - Pay close attention while descending the upper mountain. The boot pack is less obvious while descending to Camp Comfort. Also, consider using running belays in the steeper sections on the way down. Tired legs are more likely to slip in steep and firm sections of the route.

Planning your Climb: Check out the Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast for a good starting point. The weather looks warmer mid-week followed by a cooling trend by the weekend. Don't forget to bring snow picket anchors for your climb! Many sections of the route are too firm to facilitate digging a t-slot anchor using either skis or an ice axe. Snow shovels are just as important as your ice axe and crampons; you'll need one at Camp Muir.

Happy Climbing!

Aerial Route Photos from Thursday, May 21st

Upper Ingraham Glacier

Fuhrer Finger

Upper Kautz Glacier

Success Couloir 

Tahoma Glacier

Mowich Face

Upper Ptarmigan Ridge

Upper Liberty Ridge 

Memorial Day Weekend Conditions

 

View of the Emmons & Winthrop Glaciers from the top of Steamboat Prow

The roads on the east side of the park are scheduled to open this Friday for the summer - Chinook Pass, Cayuse Pass and the road up to the White River Campground will all be open to the public.  This will allow easier access for climbers and skiers to the Inter Glacier and the east side routes like the Emmons-Winthrop Glacier Route and Liberty Ridge.  

White River Ranger Station and the Paradise Wilderness Information Center will open daily for the season starting this Friday as well.  Climbers and skiers must register in-person at a ranger station for any climb or ski on a glacier and/or above 10,000 feet.  Please see the "Permits and Fees" tab for more info.

There's a couple of things to remind potential climbers and skiers of as the holiday weekend approaches:

• Winter-like weather this last week drifted in a significant amount of new snow on leeward slopes.  Recently, both climbers & skiers have been turning around near 12k due to shooting cracks and dangerous looking wind slabs.  While avalanche conditions can change day to day (and even hour to hour) make sure your team can assess these hazards for themselves (there's no public avalanche forecast this time of year on Mount Rainier).  Do not venture up into avalanche terrain if you're not confident that it's safe to do so - especially with terrain traps like crevasses below you!

• There's limited resources available at Camp Schurman due to record level snow deposition on the ridge near the ranger hut.  The bathrooms, blue bag barrels, rescue litters and propane tanks are still buried under meters of snow.  All climbers and skiers will need to carry all their human waste in blue bags all the way out to the trailhead where there's a barrel near the bathroom in the White River Camp Ground Climbers Parking Area that's labeled for Blue Bags.  Consider bringing extra blue bags since there's no toilet available at Camp Schurman.  

• The weather forecast looks to be deteriorating into the weekend.  Both Friday & Saturday look decent and Sunday & Monday look to be cloudy with high chance of precipitation.  Forecasts can be wrong, but be cautious with deteriorating conditions like this - if something goes wrong (which can happen to anyone) and a rescue is required it can be prolonged or not even possible in a storm.

While there's so much joy and wonder that can be found up high on the slopes of Mount Rainier - it can also be unforgiving.  Please make sure to build in an extra margin for safety in any activity you plan on the mountain!  While the excitement of this "opening weekend" of the climbing/skiing season can be contagious - we hope that all visitors stay safe and continue to visit the mountain many more times in the future!  

Conditions and Permit Update: Camp Schurman, Emmons-Winthrop, and Liberty Ridge

Looking directly up at the Emmons Glacier.

Camp Schurman

SR 410/Chinook Pass is still closed for the season, limiting access to the east side of the national park. The target opening date is May 22nd. Biking and walking is allowed on the park road, but be vigilant for park vehicles traveling on the roadway.

Permits are self-registration only until May 22nd. After May 22nd, the White River Wilderness Information Center will be open 7:30am to 5:00pm. Self-registration is located in front of the White River Wilderness Information Center and walk-up registration is located inside.

Camp Schurman facilities, including bathrooms, are currently buried in snow and inaccessible. Plan to be self-sufficient on a trip up to and above Camp Schurman (including bringing blue bags and packing them out).

Buried Camp Schurman.

The view of the Emmons-Winthrop zone from Little Tahoma.

Liberty Ridge, early May 2026.