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| An interesting lenticular cloud from the top of the Cleaver on 8/26 |
This blog is maintained by the Mount Rainier National Park Climbing Ranger team for use by recreational non-guided climbers. Use these reports as a baseline, but plan for changing conditions.
Within the past week, Rainier put on a weather show closer to the Fall season than a "typical" late August. Stormy weather and colder temperatures resulted in fewer climbers at Muir, however, with the anticipated sunny skies/calmer winds this week, numbers have steadily increased.
Raven perched on boulder with Rainier in background
The Muir Snowfield continues to remain in great condition this August - no visible cracks have opened up and though the snow has been slick and consolidated with many melt/freeze cycles - there's no skeletal blue ice showing yet. Trekking poles and shoe chains are advised for the slick sections. Also - be careful of rocks at the end of many of the glissade tracks! There's a couple of major snow chutes that folks have been sliding down which end in pointy rocks - be sure that you can see the end of any glissade track before launching down it.
At Camp Muir, the NPS has demolition projects happening on a few obsolete bathrooms. Please respect the workspace of the NPS crews and give them ample room to work (for your safety and theirs). Cargo nets and bags full of trash from these projects are awaiting flights, so please leave these alone and know that they are not for sitting on!
View of Ingraham Flats as seen from the top of the DC
Above camp there are no major changes to the existing routes aside from the Cleaver entrance addressed below. The lower freezing levels this past week have helped to keep a certain "status quo" on the upper mountain, at least for now. Precipitation on 8/23, 8/24, and 8/27 fell in the form of snow at camp Muir and above. Accumulation was roughly 2-4in however wind drifted snow can fill the suncup deposits on upper slopes several inches thick. Rangers did not observe any avalanche hazard from the recent snow events.
From Ingraham Flats, independent and guide teams are still climbing both the "classic" DC route as well as the Emmons Shoulder route that wraps around the cleaver. The entrance on to the actual Cleaver recently had rockfall fill in the existing moat that forms in late season. This means two things:
1. The entrance on to the DC is relatively straightforward now crossing 10-15ft of talus and boulders to the other side.
2. The fact that this happened just goes to show how much significant overhead hazard exists! Please do not take breaks under any overhead rockfall OR icefall zones.
One of the high-crack ladders
The DC has four ladder crossings currently. Two horizontal ladders at High Crack (~11,400 ft), one vertical ladder at ~12,800 ft, and one double length ladder at 13,200 ft. Handlines exist directly below and above the ladder at 13,200 ft. This zone directly above the Cleaver can have significant bottlenecks form under overhead serac hazard. We recommend that parties space out while climbing through this section as no good places to pass teams really exist until above 13,200 ft. Above this zone the route is relatively straightforward, working its way to the crater rim.
Double ladder at 13,200ft
Rangers this past week did not get a chance to climb the alternate route on the Emmons shoulder due to stormy weather. Reports are that there are still no major changes to this option.
Always inspect ladders, handlines, and anchors with your own judgement. Guide teams work very hard to ensure these adjuncts remain in working order, however, understand that the mountain is a dynamic environment which can result in rapid changes in surface conditions. The anticipated high freezing levels will send us back to "summer conditions". Be on the watch for more crevasses opening, sagging snow bridges, and overhead rock/ice breaking loose. Beat the heat by climbing on the early side and get back to Muir at a reasonable time.
