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.

Conditions and Permit Update: Muir Snowfield, Camp Muir, Ingraham Direct

We’ve been busy here at Mt. Rainier, with guided and unguided parties climbing and skiing numerous routes on the Mountain. As we get rolling into the season, we wanted to remind everyone of the what, where, and how to have a successful trip. 

Permits

Climbing permits are required for all people traveling on glaciers and/or above normal climbing high camps (~10,000 feet). Solo climbers are required to apply for a separate permit. Camping also requires a wilderness permit.

Currently, there are several ways to obtain the various permits needed, depending on when you plan to climb. 

The climbing permit fee can be paid for online here.

Self-Registration will occur from May 18 to May 21. There is a self-registration booth located inside the hallway of the Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC).

Walk-up permits are available on May 15, 16, and 17. Beginning on Friday, May 22nd, the PWIC will be open every day. Their hours are 7:30am to 5:00pm. Wilderness permit reservations (for camping) can also be made on recreation.gov.

Muir Snowfield and Camp Muir

Alongside rapidly changing conditions on the upper mountain, the Muir Snowfield is in a transitional state between winter and summer. Climbers, hikers, and skiers need to be prepared to handle various types of weather and travel conditions. 

There is patchy snow the entire way up the Snowfield. Pebble Creek is the highest place to access drinking water on the way to Camp Muir, however a water purification method is strongly recommended and the creek may be frozen during cold temperatures. Please stay on trails or snow whenever possible to protect fragile alpine vegetation. 

The route to Camp Muir is not clearly marked and requires mountain-travel skills including strong white-out navigation abilities, using GPS. The Snowfield is bordered by consequential, steep, glaciated terrain and can be difficult to navigate in poor weather and visibility.

Inclement weather will hit the area on Thursday (May 14) through the weekend. Expect high winds, low temperatures, poor visibility, and heavy precipitation. Snow levels are forecasted down to 3500 feet on Saturday. Avalanche hazard will increase; please monitor and submit all avalanche activity to the Northwest Avalanche Center. 

As a reminder, the Public Shelter at Camp Muir remains closed for construction. Prepare to camp in winter-like conditions. There is an emergency radio located in the first restroom nearest the helipad and can be used to initiate a rescue response. Plan to be self-sufficient; rescues in winter-like conditions can take several days to respond to.

Looking up at the Muir Snowfield from Pebble Creek on 5/8/2026.

Upper Mountain 

See previous blog post for upper mountain route conditions. These conditions are changing with the storm and features like wands and crevasses will likely be buried under new snow and less obvious. Guide services are reporting a single ladder on the current route up the Ingraham Direct between 11600 feet and 11800 feet. Climbing conditions over the next few days (and potentially weeks) will require advanced mountaineering skills to mitigate hazards such as avalanches, extreme weather, and navigation in complex glaciated terrain.

 

The Ingraham Glacier on 5/8/2026. Gibraltar Rock can be seen on the left side of the photo and the Disappointment Cleaver on the right.

Conditions Update and Permit Info 5/6/26

Northwest side of the mountain from lower Ptarmigan ridge on May 5th, 2026

Climbing Season is underway at Mt. Rainier. 

In order to streamline your experience getting a permit before your climb, pay attention to the notes below.

Permits: The Paradise Wilderness Information Center will be open and issuing permits Friday, May 8th - Sunday, May 10th. Operating hours Fri-Sun are 07:30 am - 5:00 pm. 

The PWIC is located in Paradise behind the Old Ranger Station. The entrance can be found on the east side of the building labeled "Guide House" 

- Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here. 

- Wilderness permits can be reserved ahead of time, or acquired in person at the Paradise Wilderness Information Center. 

- For a detailed description of the permits required to climb Mt. Rainier, check out the park's climbing page. 

Monday May 11th - Thursday May 14th: Wilderness permits are issued via self-registration in the foyer of the small A-frame ranger station (the Old Station) at the upper Paradise parking lot. Or at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here

South side of Rainier on May 1st 2026

Upper Mountain Climbing Conditions: Parties have been summiting via the Ingraham Direct route above Ingraham Flats. The route ascends the Ingraham Glacier until 12,700 feet, where it ascends to Camp Comfort above Gibraltar Rock. From there, the route continues upwards with a slight detour around large crevasses just below 14,000 feet. The route meets the crater rim at Guide Rock.

The upper mountain snow surfaces are firm for this time of year. A mild winter combined with a high-elevation rain event at the end of March has made conditions resembling smooth and firm, hard packed snow. As a result, guides are using several pickets on their climbs to protect areas of the route with fall hazard. If you have and/or use pickets on your climb for running protection, it's important to practice a procedure with your team for navigating them before your climb to enable you to move through these areas efficiently and not disrupt the movement of teams around you.

Also of note, there have been a couple instances in the last week of climbers and skiers being caught in avalanches. Consult the Northwest Avalanche Center's West South Region Observations for more information.

Springtime Conditions Update

Mt. Rainier from canyon rim overlook on April 20th

 Happy springtime!

Climbers and skiers are are beginning to venture onto the higher slopes of the mountain. Park operations are winding up, and the road to Paradise is open 24 hrs a day. Expect intermittent road closures above Longmire when inclement weather impacts the park and during heavy snowfall events.

For weather-related trip planning assistance, check out the Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast from the National Weather Service. 

This Weekend (April 25-26, 2026)

The forecast this weekend calls for sunny skies by Friday morning and relatively cool temperatures with freezing levels staying well below Camp Muir. Saturday afternoon, expect high clouds and possibly a cloud cap near the summit. Winds at Camp Muir are forecast to be 10-15 mph Friday and Saturday, while winds on the summit will slowly decrease from 55 mph on Friday to 25 mph on Saturday. Wind direction will be NE-N-NW. By Sunday, the upper level low pressure system to our north moves closer to Mt. Rainier, resulting in a chance of precipitation and reduced visibility on the upper mountain and Muir Snowfield by Sunday afternoon.

This Week:

The mountain received a significant amount of precipitation over the last two days. Accumulated precipitation at Paradise Thursday morning is almost 2 inches. This precipitation fell as a mix of rain and snow across the Park, resulting in only 8 inches of new snow at Paradise. As we move up the mountain, expect higher snowfall totals once you get above the rain line. Additionally, winds at Camp Muir gradually increased with the new precipitation. 

Average wind speeds of 15-30 mph, and gusts up to 40 mph definitely transported the new snow on the Muir Snowfield and the upper mountain. Wind direction at Muir switched from south to northwest mid-storm. New snow and high winds from opposite directions have surely created elevated avalanche hazard on the upper mountain. Travel cautiously and look for signs of instability like cracking on stiff snow surfaces, or recent avalanches on adjacent steep slopes.

Expect intermittent snow coverage for the first couple miles above Paradise. Adjust your route to stay on snow as much as possible.

Muir Snowfield:

Snow coverage is below average for this time of year below 8,000 ft on the snowfield. Areas between Paradise and McClure rock have exposed rock fellfields and fragile alpine plants. Please avoid walking on any surface besides snow on your way up the snowfield. Above Panorama Point, head towards the summer trail (snow covered) near Pebble Creek. The traditional winter route to McClure rock and traversing near Sugarloaf is not snow covered enough to protect the fragile alpine plant life from damage.

Camp Muir on April 20th

Conditions at Camp Muir are quite icy and slick. High winds likely scoured much of the new snow to leeward areas. Crampons may be useful for walking around camp if you plan to spend the night.

Few parties have ventured above Camp Muir recently. Rangers observed firm conditions at and above Camp Muir on Monday, April 20th. With limited information about upper mountain conditions, our advice is to set conservative mountaineering goals and methodically evaluate conditions on any ascent. This winter brought unique weather to the Cascade Range, which will result in unique and surprising conditions up high.

Access and Permits:

• Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here.
• Wilderness permits are issued via self-registration in the foyer of the small A-frame ranger station at the upper Paradise parking lot. Or at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center

Facilities and Emergency Infrastructure:

• The public shelter at Camp Muir is closed. The door is boarded and locked. Planned repair work was not completed in the fall.
• Access to the shelter is emergency-only and requires using the emergency radio to contact dispatch. Declaring an emergency to gain access will initiate a rescue response.
• The emergency radio has been relocated to the first restroom building nearest the helipad. This restroom is unusable for any other purpose than using the emergency radio.
• The pit-toilet is open and available for use. Find the second bathroom structure on the ridge, to the east of the helipad.

Equipment and Self-Sufficiency:

• Bring the full complement of winter camping gear necessary to remain self-sufficient—even if your plan is to camp only at Camp Muir.
• Leave the parking lot with detailed maps, whether digital or paper.
• If relying on a phone, bring an external battery, use airplane mode, and save social media posting until after your climb.

Search and Rescue Realities:

It is critical to understand how early season rescue differs from summer operations:

• During the summer season, climbing rangers are staffed daily and often stationed at Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, with dedicated training and aviation support.
• This infrastructure does not exist early season.
• Reaching an injured climber may take a full day or many more, even in favorable weather. In some cases, depending on location, conditions, and weather, no team may be able to respond for several days.

If you are injured on the mountain—particularly above high camps—the likelihood of same-day assistance is significantly reduced.

Muir Snowfield on April 20th from 7,300 ft