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| 8/13/2026 Thunderheads build behind Little Tahoma, as seen from Camp Muir. Lightning storms can pose a serious hazard to hikers and climbers, avoid being caught in one if possible. |
Camp Muir has experienced thunderstorms, fog, wildfire smoke, and sunshine this week. August weather can swing from pleasant to stormy quickly. Pay close attention to the Mt. Rainier Rec Forecast and take heed of any mentions of thunderstorms and lightning. These storms are serious on the upper mountain and you don't want to get caught in one while climbing or hiking to Muir. Long range forecasts are indicating a chance of thunderstorms returning to the mountain by Friday and Saturday Aug 21-22.
Muir Snowfield:
The snowfield is in good condition for August. The trail is clear and dry to Pebble Creek, with a mix of rock and snow above ~7500'. Though little ice is exposed now, expect more to melt out with this week's warmer weather. Be wary of streams running underneath the snow you are moving on, as this can create dangerous creek holes that you can punch through. Running water near you or the sound of running water coming from the snow are both signs you could be near one of these thin snow sections. Additionally, be mindful at the transition of rock and snow, as the snow melts quicker around rocks and may create hollow areas where you can punch through.
Camp Muir:
Camp Muir currently has camping on the snow in the trough and the wind roll. Take care to keep your food well contained as the ravens, mice, chipmunks, and Rosy Finches have been getting into camper's belongings. Please do not feed the animals as human habituation will make the problem worse. There are four bathrooms open at Camp Muir - two on each side of camp - as well as two blue bag barrels for disposing of bagged human waste. There is no running water at Camp Muir.
Disappointment Cleaver Route:
The route is in good condition compared to this time of year in recent history. The main hazards right now are overhead hazard from active rock and ice fall and the potential for crevasse falls. To lessen the likelihood of these hazards, use helmets, do not stop in areas with the potential for rock and icefall, use proper glacier travel and short roping techniques, protect areas with fall potential, and avoid kicking rocks off the mountain as there may be climbing parties below you.
From Camp Muir the route crosses the Cowlitz and ascends to Cathedral Gap. The Beehive and Gibraltar have been shedding rocks regularly, as evidenced by the many rocks on the surface of the Cowlitz Glacier, so keep a heads up. Additionally, the rock is loose ascending to the Gap so take proper rope management and movement precautions. From Cathedral Gap to the Ingraham Flats, the route is mainly snow, though you will find rocks on the surface from rock fall of off Cathedral Ridge.
There are many camping options at Ingraham Flats. Please do not set up camp in the boot pack. Also, take note of crevasses in the area and give them a wide berth for camping.
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| 8/16/2026 The ladder at High Crack - 11,200'. The white/grey rope can be used as a handline. |
Above the Flats, the route continues along the traditional path. There is a ladder at High Crack (pictured above) with a hand line. From the ladder, the route follows a generally traversing path through the Icebox and the Bowling Alley onto the spine of the Cleaver. This area has been quite active with rockfall recently, take necessary precautions to minimize the time your group is exposed. There is a fin of ice in the transition off of snow in the bowling alley that may cause difficulty for some parties. Utilize the handlines once on the rock to protect your party and move efficiently in this terrain. A route up the Cleaver is marked with wands. Understand that staying on route up and down the cleaver requires vigilance. If you find yourself in areas with copious loose rocks, you are likely off route.
From the top of the Cleaver, the route should be quite obvious as it is the path of least resistance amongst the penitentes. There are also wands marking the route: one means you are on the right path, two means a change of direction.
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| 8/16/2026 A ranger in the bootpack above the top of the Disappointment Cleaver. |
The route continues up from the top of the Cleaver, winding through an area of jumbled crevasses before traversing to the Emmon's Shoulder. From the shoulder the route continues up a series of switchbacks to the Crater Rim. There are multiple snow bridge crossings on the upper mountain right now that may be negatively impacted by the warming weather. Take care to inspect these before crossing, as anything you cross you should feel confident it will still be there on your way down. Additionally, there is running protection in place on the upper mountain. Use this as necessary to protect your party, but please do not take the pickets or the carabiners as these increase security for all parties on the mountain.
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| 8/16/2026 - A ranger about to cross a snow bridge at ~13800' |
Descent
Descend the same path you used to ascend, taking care to protect your movement as necessary - tired legs can cause falls that would otherwise not occur. Additionally, the boot pack between the penitentes is narrow in some places; be careful of your footing in these sections.
Additional InformationThere is an active fire near Grand Park in the northeast area of the park. Sunrise Road and White River Road to SR410 are CLOSED until further notice. All trails originating from these park roads, and all trails in the Grand Park area, are also closed until further notice. Updated 8/9/2026.
https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/news/fire.htm
A climbing permit and Payment of the Climbing Cost and Recovery Fee are required to climb Mount Rainier. More information can be found on the Mount Rainier National Park Climbing Webpage. The Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC) is open for the season with hours of operation between 7:30am - 5pm. Remember to Leave No Trace on the mountain. The Camp Muir Public Shelter is still undergoing renovations and not accessible to the public.
