Aerial Route Photos from Friday, June 12, 2026

Mount Rainier from the Northwest

The Mowich Face and Sunset Ridge

Ptarmigan Ridge

The Carbon Glacier below Liberty Ridge

Liberty Ridge (left) and Ptarmigan Ridge (right)

Liberty Ridge

Lower Liberty Ridge and the Carbon Glacier

The Willis Wall and Liberty Ridge

Curtis Ridge

 

Emmons-Winthrop Route Update 6/13/2026

Climbers continue to explore the northeast side of Mount Rainier, frequently accessing the Inter Glacier, Camp Schurman, and the Emmons and Winthrop Glaciers. This side of the mountain is an unmaintained wilderness experience that requires planning, preparation, and skills to have a successful trip.

The Emmons and Winthrop Glaciers

The approach to Glacier Basin Campground is snow-free with plenty of places to access running water. Consistent snow begins around 6200' on the Inter Glacier, with increasingly visible moats and few crevasses. It is recommended that climbers rope up once on the Emmons Glacier to access Camp Schurman, as many crevasses exist and are thinly covered by the snow from the past week.

Looking down the Inter Glacier

Camp Schurman and Steamboat Prow

Camp Schurman has fully operational facilities--two toilets, a blue bag barrel, and an emergency radio located on the front of the NPS hut. The helipad is currently covered in snow but can be seen in the photo below marked by a windsock. Please do your best to avoid camping on the helipad (the windsock has been removed). If permitted to camp at the Emmons Flats, roping up and traveling as a team to access that area is strongly recommended because it is necessary to cross several large, but currently bridged, crevasses.

Camp Schurman Camping

The Emmons-Wintrhop route continues to be a relatively direct climb, with many parties successfully traversing from the Emmons to the Winthrop Glacier above the Corridor and ascending and descending the upper bergschrund. 

With freezing levels reaching 16,500 feet over the past few days, it is important to have the skills to route-find in complex glaciated terrain if snow bridges over crevasses fall out on the ascent or descent. Place waypoints with mapping tools, consider placing pickets and belaying crossings, be well-rehearsed in crevasse rescue with the gear you are carrying, and understand that the summit is only the halfway point in your journey. The national park is experiencing peak busy season, which means that climbers need to be self-sufficient and able to self-rescue if necessary. 

Skiers should be prepared to transition between skiing and roped climbing safely and also perform a rescue on an unroped partner in the event of a crevasse fall. 

With warming temperatures and full sun, expect the route to change on a daily basis and be ready to adapt your plan based on conditions.

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 are the White River Entrance and Stevens Canyon entrance stations. The White River Campground is open for the season as well.  

Registration:

All climbers must register for their climb in 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. 

Disappointment Cleaver Route Update 6/13/2026

The current, maintained climbing route in the Muir Corridor is officially the Disappointment Cleaver route. Guides have been working diligently to improve the route and have successfully summited over the past few days. 

The Ingraham Glacier and Disappointment Cleaver

The Disappointment Cleaver

The Approach to Camp Muir

Dry trails and patchy snow exist on the hike up to Panorama Point and Pebble Creek. Please stay on trails or snow when possible to avoid trampling fragile alpine vegetation. The last place to fill up water is Pebble Creek (bring a water filter if you're planning to drink the water from there).  Above Pebble Creek, there is continuous snow up the Muir Snowfield.

Camp Muir

As a reminder, the Public Shelter remains closed for construction so be prepared to camp on snow with a four-season tent. Multiple feet of snow have fallen this month, accompanied by strong winds, and heavy-duty tents are strongly recommended for the rapidly changing mountain conditions. Camp Muir facilities are fully functional--including bathrooms, a blue bag barrel, and an emergency radio located in the bathroom nearest to the helipad.

The Disappointment Cleaver Route

Early season conditions exist on the Disappointment Cleaver Route, with lots of snow covering the approach to Cathedral Gap and on the Cleaver itself (see photos). Guides have placed handlines and pickets on steep sections of the Cleaver and above. Clipping yourself to the handlines is not recommended--instead, simply use it for balance. Clipping through pickets to use as running protection is allowed, however be sure to test that it is well-secured in the snow and leave all of the equipment where you found it (pickets, carabiners, etc.) because it is property of the guide services. 

While the route is maintained, be prepared to navigate this complex, glaciated terrain as if there were no wands or gear on the route. This includes being self-sufficient and able to self-rescue. Practice crevasse rescue with the team, rope, and gear that you are planning to climb with. Camp Muir is an excellent venue to sharpen technical skills before venturing onto the upper mountain.

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 are the White River Entrance and Stevens Canyon entrance stations. The White River Campground is open for the season as well.  

Registration:

All climbers must register for their climb in 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. 

Ingraham Direct Route Update 6/9/26

As we enter the second week of June, significant low pressure systems have impacted Mt. Rainier National Park. Snow levels have crept as low as Paradise and accompanied winds have been strong to extreme on the upper mountain. New snow and wind transport, paired with cold temperatures has kept the upper mountain in a winter time snowpack with snow totals expected to be 1 - 2’ above high camps since June 7th. Rangers noted a variety of snow surfaces while climbing the Ingraham Direct ranging from scoured icy firm to new wind loaded slab formations over a foot deep on 6/7/26.

New snow on the Cowlitz with strong winds 6/9/26

Climber crossing a ladder on the Ingraham

Around 12,400’, parties reported triggering a 12 inch deep by 60 foot wide pocket of wind slab, due to terrain there was not significant movement. With substantial new snow load comes the increased risk of avalanche hazard. Along with increased avalanche hazard, crevasses will become harder to read with a fresh coat of snow. No parties ventured far above the high camps on June 9th. The boot pack will be covered with new snow and difficult to follow.

Ladder crossing on the Ingraham

Skiing on the ID at this point in the season is strongly discouraged as the snow texture is very three dimensional, making secure movement impossible. Even with the new snow, the middle portion of the Ingraham Glacier has numerous snow bridge and ladder crossings that require removing skis to negotiate.

Newly covered crevasses adjacent to the boot pack

The Ingraham Direct route itself is still being climbed by both guide services as well as independent climbers. The route between 11,500’ and 12,000’ remains the most dynamic section with widening sections of crevasses and snow bridges. Adjuncts in the form of ladders and handlines exist through this area. This section is the most sensitive to warm weather and teams should be prepared for the possibility of any of these crevasse crossings to fall out. As always, remember to climb within the parties own ability, and to turn around when this threshold is being reached. 

Climber triggered windslab around 12,400' - 6/7/26

As a reminder, the calendar may say that meteorological summer has arrived, however on Mount Rainier the weather can change quickly and can even differ from the predicted forecast. Rangers noted a large number of summer tents being used at Camp Muir, many breaking in the wind and new snow. 

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 are the White River Entrance and Stevens Canyon entrance stations. The White River Campground is open for the season as well.  

Registration:

All climbers must register for their climb in 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. 

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.