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| Emmons-Winthrop Glacier from Steamboat Prow. May 24, 2018. |
With the White River Road open, the east side of Mount Rainier is starting to see increasing climber and skier traffic. The Emmons-Winthrop has seen some ascents this week and parties are reporting generally favorable travel. There are numerous crevasses opening to wander past, especially above 12,000'. The route is not wanded and has an intermittent bootpack which will quickly become obscured with any new snowfall. Expect to do all of your own navigation; come prepared with a GPS, map/compass/altimeter, and knowledge of how to use them.
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| Snowy travel in Glacier Basin |
The Glacier Basin Trail is a mix of snow and dirt, but is all-snow about 2.5 miles from White River Campground. The Inter Glacier is pretty filled-in and is currently quite smooth. Be cautious and conservative when crossing streams and moats -- give any visible holes a very large berth since the snow is likely to be very thin in the vicinity. Keep your teammates in sight when crossing these hazards and be prepared to extricate a person if they plunge through thinly covered areas. As always, be sure to rope up on the glaciated terrain below Camp Schurman.
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| Approach from Camp Curtis to Camp Schurman on Emmons Glacier. |
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| Climbing team crossing Emmons Flats. |
