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 

Ski-Mo or Ski-No?

 

June 27th 2024

This blog is maintained by the MRNP Climbing Ranger team for use by recreational non-guided climbers.

Use these reports as a baseline, but plan for changing conditions.

Ski tracks on the Paradise Glacier showing near misses with crevasses - NPS Photo

Skier traffic on the upper mountain has been hitting all-time highs this spring as the skiing itself rapidly deteriorates in quality. Solar input, especially as we approach summer, can lead to conditions such as: thin and discontinuous snow that requires steep down climbing; variable snow surfaces such as sastrugi, sun cups, runnels, and penitentes; open crevasses; weak snow bridges; and rockfall. Ski movement ability is the best way to improve your safety margin from falling while skiing in the mountains. When combined, the conditions described will make a route "out of condition" even for the best of skier. The routes have been changing rapidly due to consistent high freezing temperatures and sunny days.

An unseen crevasse causes a skier to fall and lose control - their tumbling impacts can be seen below the crevasse - NPS Photo

Even if someone skied the route a week prior, remember that we are in a highly dynamic environment that is changing at a fast rate. This results in quick route changes and new crevasses opening in a matter of hours, let alone days. Not only must you possess the skills necessary to navigate through heavily crevassed terrain, but anyone skiing the mountain must possess expert skiing abilities as any unplanned fall could have severe consequences.

Rangers are observing a marked increase in skier traffic on the upper mountain in recent years, with a decrease in the movement abilities of skiers and riders. This has coincided with an increase in accidents involving skiing. One constant observation that rangers are making is that the basic approach to risk management is often skewed in skiing parties.

The two biggest misconceptions about the risks involved with skiing on Rainier are:

 

• Speed of Glacial Navigation on a Ski Descent: Since you may have more days on skis annually going downhill at a resort than you do walking downhill with crampons on, you may be under the impression that skiing down the upper mountain will be easier than walking. What this perception lacks to factor in is that when you are skiing, the same glacial navigation and snow bridge evaluation you had to perform on the way up the mountain has to happen at over double the speed on the way down! Rangers have seen many close calls with skiers approaching blind, convex rolls at speed -- just barely stopping before skiing straight into a crevasse. In one case, a skier was observed accidentally jumping a crevasse they did not identify. When managing open glaciers, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. So be sure to ski slow and in control, especially when you cannot see the whole line you are skiing.

• Safety of Skis vs. Booting Uphill: It is often assumed that since skis spread one's weight out over a large surface area, they are a safer method of travel on glaciers. This may be true for flat valley glaciers, but while ascending on steep terrain, the opposite is often true. The extra weight and awkwardness of skiing or snowboarding makes the endeavor more challenging and requires more attention paid to risk management. Variable, steep surfaces with significant fall consequences are not the place to practice “high-stakes skinning”, especially if you are new to backcountry travel.  

 

Individuals considering a ski attempt on Mt. Rainier should possess significant previous experience skiing on glaciers and at altitude. While no other Cascade volcano possesses the same degree of challenge for a ski mountaineer, it is strongly recommended to have experience skiing on other peaks like Mount Baker and Mount Adams before coming to Mount Rainier. Mt. Rainier has more substantial objective hazards and complex glaciated terrain than any other mountain in the lower 48. Combine this with the unpredictability of how high altitude will affect you, and having significant previous experience to draw on will provide a much higher safety margin on any ski descent of Mt. Rainier. A deep well of experience managing these hazards on less complex terrain should be developed before heading to Washington State's highest peak.

Other Safety considerations for planning a ski trip on Mount Rainier:

 

Team Selection

This is the most important factor to consider when planning a trip to Mount Rainier. The vast majority of terrain on Mount Rainier can be classified as “no fall” territory. Although ski falls may be common and insignificant in a ski resort, all falls on the upper mountain are serious. Simply losing an edge can easily cascade into an unstoppable slide into an open crevasse. Reverting to side-slipping or falling-leaf technique, rather than linked turns, can help maintain control of your ski descent. If anyone in your party has any doubt of their ability to safely ski the route, you must be willing to communicate that and revert to appropriate roped glacier travel techniques - this would include stashing skis low and continuing on foot. If you doubt your ski ability, consider hiring a professional to give you objective feedback in a more controlled environment such as a ski resort or less complex ski mountaineering objective.

 

Successfully completing a ski descent of Mount Rainier requires individuals and teams who are competent in a broad array of mountain skills. Mountaineering, glacier travel, rope techniques, navigation, and expert-level downhill skiing skills with a heavy backpack are the bare minimum.

Route Selection

There is no easy way to ski from the summit of Mount Rainier. All routes feature complex glacier travel, steep skiing, and long sections of no-fall terrain. Commonly attempted routes include: Emmons-Winthrop, Fuhrer Finger, Kautz Glacier, Success Couloir, and Ingraham Direct. There are many excellent ski descents on the mountain that minimize exposure to crevasses, ice and rock fall, and high altitude. Descents of the Muir Snowfield, Van Trump Snowfields, The Turtle, and Inter Glacier all serve as a nice introduction to the challenges of skiing on Mount Rainier.

Skiing down a route that you didn't climb up is generally not recommended. When walking up the route you plan to ski, it allows you to see and assess hazards, record a GPS track, and plan your descent. When onsighting a descent, especially on skis, you are suddenly put in the position of quickly identifying hazards and route finding as you go in a broad and expansive glaciated landscape.

 

One Day vs. Overnight Trips

An increasing number of teams opt for single day attempts; these require exceptional fitness levels. We see many teams that begin their attempt together but slowly get spread out across the upper mountain. This is unacceptable. It is crucial that team members remain within verbal and visual communication at all times. If one party member needs to stop or descend, the group should do the same. Do not leave anyone alone on the mountain. Consider a multi-day attempt so that you can begin your summit attempt rested and focused for the strenuous day ahead. Overnight trips also present better opportunities to time your descent for optimal conditions.

No matter which strategy your party chooses you must register for your climb and pay the climbing fee. More information on that process can be found here.

 

Weather and Avalanche

When signs of current or developing snow instability are present, the best course of action is to descend immediately from your current location rather than trying to outsmart the avalanche problem. It only takes a small amount of moving snow to knock you off your feet and push you into places that have serious consequences.

 

Snow Surface Conditions

This is probably the hardest variable to predict when planning a ski descent of Rainier. Snow conditions vary widely across aspect and elevation. The upper mountain rarely features smooth snow surfaces that could be defined as “good” skiing – it is commonly “survival skiing” up high. The surface above high camps is frequently a mix of breakable wind crust, very firm wind packed snow, ice chunks, sastrugi, firm and smooth (slide for life) conditions, and refrozen snow. Expect to ski “bad snow” for some, or all, of every descent on this mountain.  

Furthermore, it is rare that a ski descent does not require some down climbing. In many cases the decision to transition to crampons and ice axe for a short down climb can be a life-saving event. You must expect that you will need to take off your skis, rope up and climb down intermittently using proper mountaineering techniques.

Glacier Conditions

As the season progresses, all potential ski descents become more challenging as crevasses open and more ice is exposed. The trend in recent years has been to attempt ski descents earlier in the season to help mitigate these hazards, though this brings increased risk of avalanches, challenging navigation, and more hidden crevasses. Regardless of when a descent is attempted, always ensure that you can see to the bottom of the slope you are on. Convex rolls are classic trigger points for avalanche's and often hide crevasses on their downhill side.

 

All parties on foot should be roped up to help protect against glacier hazards. This means that transitioning from skiing to booting (or booting to skiing) should be done after roping up and spreading out the team. The greatly reduced surface area of boots compared to skis greatly increases the likelihood of punching through a snow bridge into a crevasse.

 

Technical Rescue & Rope Considerations

All parties must be competent in crevasse rescue. Every member should wear a climbing harness at all times in the event of a crevasse fall. Carrying two ropes affords a greater safety margin in the event that the person carrying the only rope falls into a crevasse – this risk can be easily mitigated. Many teams opt to bring a single 60m rope, however carrying two ropes per team that are each 30+ meters increases rescue safety margins while having a commonly missed benefit: the ski quality for the party as a whole is increased as no one is skiing with the weight of a 60m of rope in their pack! Each party member should have enough supplies to construct a rescue anchor, rappel into and ascend out of a crevasse, and execute a haul system. All other mountaineering equipment should also be carried, including crampons, ice axe, helmet, navigation, and survival gear.

 

A ski descent of Rainier can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a competent party but it can quickly turn disastrous for the unskilled or unprepared. The fact that descending on skis is so much faster than on foot allows skiers to get off route and into problematic terrain all that more quickly. Proper planning and a high degree of caution is a prerequisite for a successful ski descent of the mountain.

Upper Mountain Skiing Considerations

The Emmons-Winthrop Glacier saw a lot of skier traffic on Memorial Day Weekend

As we move into June on Mount Rainier, we are seeing a dramatic shift to summer-like conditions on all routes. In tandem with this, skier traffic on the upper mountain is hitting all-time highs as the skiing itself rapidly deteriorates in quality. Solar input, especially as we approach summer, can lead to conditions such as: thin and discontinuous snow that requires steep downclimbing; variable snow surfaces such as sun cups, runnels, and penitentes; open crevasses; weak snow bridges; and rockfall. Ski movement ability is, perhaps, the best way to improve your safety margin from falling while skiing in the mountains. When combined, the conditions described will make a route "out of condition" even for the best of skier. Even the Muir Snowfield has discontinuous snow and is heavily sun cupped in the last 700ft to Camp Muir! Presently, the north side of the mountain is seeing less solar input and thus has more planar snow surfaces and better coverage. That said, the times are rapidly a 'changin due to consistent high freezing temperatures and sunny days.

Sun cups on the Muir Snowfield near Camp Muir 6/10/23. Shoe for scale

Even if someone skied the route a week prior, remember that we are in a highly dynamic environment that is changing at a fast rate: this results in quick route changes and new crevasses opening in a matter of hours, let alone days. Not only must you possess the skills necessary to navigate through heavily crevassed terrain, but anyone skiing the mountain must possess expert skiing abilities as any unplanned fall could have severe consequences. 

Rangers are observing a marked increase in skier traffic on the upper mountain in recent years, with a decrease in the movement abilities of skiers and riders. This has coincided with an increase in accidents involving skiing. One constant observation that rangers are making is that the basic approach to risk management is often skewed in skiing parties.

The two biggest misconceptions about the risks involved with skiing on Rainier are:

 

• Speed of Glacial Navigation on a Ski Descent: Since you may have more days on skis annually going downhill at a resort than you do walking downhill with crampons on, you may be under the impression that skiing down the upper mountain will be easier than walking. What this perception lacks to factor in is that when you are skiing, the same glacial navigation and snow bridge evaluation you had to perform on the way up the mountain has to happen at over double the speed on the way down! Rangers have seen many close calls with skiers approaching blind, convex rolls at speed -- just barely stopping before skiing straight into a crevasse. In one case, a skier was observed accidentally jumping a crevasse they did not identify. When managing open glaciers, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. So be sure to ski slow and in control, especially when you cannot see the whole line you are skiing.

• Safety of Skis vs. Booting Uphill: It is often assumed that since skis spread one's weight out over a large surface area, they are a safer method of travel on glaciers. This may be true for flat valley glaciers, but while ascending on steep terrain, the opposite is often true. The extra weight and awkwardness of skiing or snowboarding makes the endeavor more challenging and requires more attention paid to risk management. Variable, steep surfaces with significant fall consequences are not the place to practice “high-stakes skinning”, especially if you are new to backcountry travel.  

 

Individuals considering a ski attempt on Mt. Rainier should possess significant previous experience skiing on glaciers and at altitude. While no other Cascade volcano possesses the same degree of challenge for the ski mountaineer, it is strongly recommended to have experience skiing on other peaks like Mount Baker and Mount Adams before coming to Mount Rainier. Mt. Rainier has more substantial objective hazards and complex glaciated terrain than any other mountain in the lower 48. Combine this with the unpredictability of how high altitude will affect you, and having significant previous experience to draw on will provide a much higher safety margin on any ski descent of Mt. Rainier. A deep well of experience managing these hazards on less complex terrain should be developed before heading to Washington State's highest peak.

Other Safety considerations for planning a ski trip on Mount Rainier:

 

Team Selection

This is the most important factor to consider when planning a trip to Mount Rainier. The vast majority of terrain on Mount Rainier can be classified as “no fall” territory. Although ski falls may be common and insignificant in a ski resort, all falls on the upper mountain are serious. Simply losing an edge can easily cascade into an unstoppable slide into an open crevasse. Reverting to side-slipping or falling-leaf technique, rather than linked turns, can help maintain control of your ski descent. If anyone in your party has any doubt of their ability to safely ski the route, you must be willing to communicate that and revert to appropriate roped glacier travel techniques - this would include stashing skis low and continuing on foot. If you doubt your ski ability, consider hiring a professional to give you objective feedback in a more controlled environment such as a ski resort or less complex ski mountaineering objective.

 

Successfully completing a ski descent of Mount Rainier requires individuals and teams who are competent in a broad array of mountain skills. Mountaineering, glacier travel, rope techniques, navigation, and expert-level downhill skiing skills with a heavy backpack are the bare minimum.

Route Selection

There is no easy way to ski from the summit of Mount Rainier. All routes feature complex glacier travel, steep skiing, and long sections of no-fall terrain. Commonly attempted routes include: Emmons-Winthrop, Fuhrer Finger, Kautz Glacier, Success Couloir, and Ingraham Direct. There are many excellent ski descents on the mountain that minimize exposure to crevasses, ice and rock fall, and high altitude. Descents of the Muir Snowfield, Van Trump Snowfields, The Turtle, and Inter Glacier all serve as a nice introduction to the challenges of skiing on Mount Rainier.

 

One Day vs. Overnight Trips

An increasing number of teams opt for single day attempts; these require exceptional fitness levels. We see many teams that begin their attempt together but slowly get spread out across the upper mountain. This is unacceptable. It is crucial that team members remain within verbal and visual communication at all times. If one party member needs to stop or descend, the group should do the same. Do not leave anyone alone on the mountain. Consider a multi-day attempt so that you can begin your summit attempt rested and focused for the strenuous day ahead. Overnight trips also present better opportunities to time your descent for optimal conditions.

No matter which strategy your party chooses you must register for your climb and pay the climbing fee. More information on that process can be found here.

 

Weather and Avalanche

When signs of current or developing snow instability are present, the best course of action is to descend immediately from your current location rather than trying to outsmart the avalanche problem. It only takes a small amount of moving snow to knock you off your feet and push you into places that have serious consequences.

 

Snow Surface Conditions

This is probably the hardest variable to predict when planning a ski descent of Rainier. Snow conditions vary widely across aspect and elevation. The upper mountain rarely features smooth snow surfaces that could be defined as “good” skiing – it is commonly “survival skiing” up high. The surface above high camps is frequently a mix of breakable wind crust, very firm wind packed snow, ice chunks, sastrugi, and refrozen snow. Expect to ski “bad snow” for some or all of every descent. 

Furthermore, it is rare that a ski descent does not require some down climbing. In many cases the decision to transition to crampons and ice axe for a short down climb can be a life-saving event. You must expect that you will need to take off your skis, rope up and climb down intermittently.

Glacier Conditions

As the season progresses, all potential ski descents become more challenging as crevasses open and more ice is exposed. The trend in recent years has been to attempt ski descents earlier in the season to help mitigate these hazards, though this brings increased risk of avalanches, challenging navigation, and more hidden crevasses. Regardless of when a descent is attempted, always ensure that you can see to the bottom of the slope you are on. Convex rolls are classic trigger points for avalanche's and often hide crevasses on their downhill side.

 

All parties on foot should be roped up to help protect against glacier hazards. This means that transitioning from skiing to booting (or booting to skiing) should be done after roping up and spreading out the team. The greatly reduced surface area of boots compared to skis greatly increases the likelihood of punching through a snow bridge into a crevasse.

 

Technical Rescue & Rope Considerations

All parties must be competent in crevasse rescue. Every member should wear a climbing harness at all times in the event of a crevasse fall. Carrying two ropes affords a greater safety margin in the event that the person carrying the only rope falls into a crevasse – this risk can be easily mitigated. Many teams opt to bring a single 60m rope, however carrying two ropes per team that are each 30+ meters increases rescue safety margins while having a commonly missed benefit: the ski quality for the party as a whole is increased as no one is skiing with the weight of a 60m of rope in their pack! Each party member should have enough supplies to construct a rescue anchor, rappel into and ascend out of a crevasse, and execute a haul system. All other mountaineering equipment should also be carried, including crampons, ice axe, helmet, navigation, and survival gear.

 

A ski descent of Rainier can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a competent party but it can quickly turn disastrous for the unskilled or unprepared. The fact that descending on skis is so much faster than on foot allows skiers to get off route and into problematic terrain all that more quickly. Proper planning and a high degree of caution is a prerequisite for a successful ski descent of the mountain.

Emmons-Winthrop & South Side Update

Emmons-Winthrop

Consistent with our last blog post, the route climbed (red line) on 5/28 is very direct, going directly up and over two large cracks that have solid (for now) steep snow plugs. There was a notable crux at ~12,500’ that required climbers to front point and utilize axes in dagger position over a 20' section of AI 2/3. Beyond this, the route went directly to the crater rim, passing several zones of notably steep snow.  This additional exposure can be avoided via a less steep option (green line) traversing out right on lower angle slopes underneath the icefall near ~13,200’, This would take climbers to the saddle between the top of Curtis Ridge and the summit. From here, one can gain the summit on the western facing, low angle slope from the saddle with minimal exposure compared to the direct route.

Route alternatives on the E/W.

Snow surfaces from the summit to 12'500' were variable with intermittent sections of compact windboard, sastrugi, glacial ice and rough corn. This terrain is relatively steep, and a fall would not have a desirable outcome. Something to consider when skiing the Emmons is that while most glaciers have cross-slope cracks, the Corridor also has longitudinal cracks on either side!

The bottom 1/3 of the Success Couloir is tucked out of view, with the top system visible from camp.

South Side Update

Rangers visited the Success Couloir for an investigatory patrol. Rangers approached via Comet Falls, finding intermittent snow along the trail, which made for less than efficient travel. Continuous snow was found at ~5,000', where one can navigate up through the forest and continue toward the Success Glacier via Van Trump Park. A final, consequential traverse across well-covered snow slopes delivers prospective climbers to the ridge on the eastern edge of the Success Glacier at 8,000'. Upon arriving at camp, clouds lifted, and Rangers were able to assess conditions up high in greater detail.

Utilizing a monocular, Rangers observed deep runnels, chicken heads, and evidence of recent rockfall in Success Couloirs. Snow was discontinuous and would require climbing through several rock bands. Significant rock and ice fall events crossed much of the Success Glacier.  Other ambitious skiers came through, ascending 300' into the couloir until they came to the the conclusion that they shouldn’t continue, reporting "heinous" conditions on the route. Ultimately, between this and conditions found in the Fuhrer Finger recently, it seems that the south side of the mountain is highly sun affected above 8,000'. Mid elevation slopes still hold excellent snow to about 5,800'. 

That's the conditions report for this week! Hope to see everyone out there!

Emmons-Winthrop Update

 

For this point in July, the Emmons is holding up quite well. Mount Rainier has experienced consistently high freezing levels in the past week (~14,500ft) and the extended forecast is predicting this trend to continue into next week. With this warming, expect to encounter suspect snow bridges, widening cracks, and a continually changing route.

View of the Emmons-Winthrop

Even though there may be a well worn boot-pack in spots, this route may have been established when bridges were more supportive and conditions were different.

Snow Bridge at 11,400

Snow Bridge at 12,800 

Climbers are encouraged to analyze their decisions when picking the best route, don’t blindly follow the path most traveled. Consider options to end-run hollow bridges, take a different path, or if it’s not feeling right head back to camp!

South Side Aerial Photos. It's looking good!

Coverage is looking good on the Mount Rainier. Climbing routes and some ski descents seem to still be in great shape! 

The Kautz glacier, the Turtle, the Wilson glacier/Furher Finger, and the Nisqually.

The Kautz glacier, the Turtle, the Wilson glacier/Furher Finger, and the Nisqually.

A view of the upper and lower Kautz glacier and the Van Trump zone.

7/6 South Side Aerial Photos

Below are aerial photos from the south side of Mt. Rainier over the weekend.  These may be helpful for broad trip and route planning purposes.

Looking up the broad and well defined ridge of Success Cleaver

Kautz Glacier

Fuhrer Finger (the couloir with ski tracks) & Fuhrer Thumb 

Ingraham Direct. Photo taken above Cathedral Rocks. 
Note Ingraham Flats tents for reference

Aerial Photos

Here's some recent (June 22nd, 2021) aerial photos from the south side of the mountain.  The mountain had a slight refresh with the June-uary storm cycles earlier this month, but the recent heat has been melting the new snow almost as fast as it fell.  Most routes are still hanging in there, but as the snow recedes, many of the routes begin to have an unsafe amount of rockfall and "close" for the summer.  Definitely remember your extra dark sunglasses this time of year!  

View of the upper Emmons Glacier - the "corridor" visible on the right side of the image.

Cathedral Rocks run in the center of this image, the Disappointment Cleaver is the rock ridge in the upper right of the image - note it's still at least 50% snow covered.

The Fuhrer Finger is the wavy-hourglass feature in the middle of the image, just to the left of the Nisqually Ice Fall.  Note the dirty, rock strewn section which has started to grow as the route melts out.

The Kautz Glacier's ice pitches are front and center in this image.  Not too melted out yet!

Camp Muir and Camp Schurman update 6/14

Winthrop glacier from Camp Schurman

High camps were lonely this past weekend- and for good reason. An atmospheric river event slammed Mt. Rainier and Western Washington with an impressive moisture plume.

Radar image from Sunday night 6/13/21

Precipitation in the park is measured at Paradise, where the weather station recorded 2 inches of rain since Friday!

The freezing levels hovered between 9,000 and 11,000 feet during this storm. Winds were intense at both camps making travel on the upper mountain nearly impossible. Camp Muir felt the full force of this storm, being exposed to southerly flow. Sustained winds at Camp Muir exceeded 50 mph all day Sunday, and gusts up to 99 mph were recorded.

Check out the Northwest Avalanche Center website for real time weather data from the stations at Paradise and Camp Muir.

Camp Schruman after the storm broke Monday evening.

Looking forward, conditions will warm and dry by mid-week. This weekend will see temperatures rise and freezing levels climb above 13,000 feet. That's good news, certainly, but how will that affect climbing conditions?

All the precipitation from the recent storm fell as snow above 11,000 feet, or the level of Ingraham Flats. That means the upper mountain could have feet of wet, heavy new snow. Strong winds likely transported this new snow across the upper mountain and created fresh wind slabs that could be triggered by a climbing party. Teams attempting to climb this week must bring avalanche rescue gear- including a beacon, shovel, and probe for each climber.

Rising temperatures and the powerful June sun will slowly stabilize these avalanche hazards as we approach the weekend. However, dangerous avalanche conditions could linger near the summit into this weekend. Continually evaluate the snow conditions while climbing this week. A large drift of dry snow that sounds hollow or cracks when you walk through it should give you pause; and may be a reason to turn around.

Shooting cracks in a wind slab

For the most up to date weather information, check out the Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast

The climbing routes up the Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons/ Winthrop have not changed much in the last week. Check out the links above for more detailed information.

Climb safely, and enjoy the sunshine this week!

DC Route Conditions and Aerial Photos 6/2/2021

The Disappointment Cleaver and the upper Ingraham and Emmons Glaciers

A series of storms and lingering avalanche danger had shut the DC down to all guided and independent parties for eight days. After three days of calm and sunny weather however the guides re-established the route and the DC has been climbed every day since 5/31.

The route currently ascends the 'spine' of the Disappointment Cleaver and from there weaves it's way through the heavily crevassed upper Ingraham and Emmons glaciers.

Temperatures have warmed rapidly and with warming temps comes an increase in rockfall and crevasse fall danger. As we switch to summer climbing conditions please keep in mind the specific hazards that come with the changing season.

That said, climbing conditions are reported to be excellent now, so pick a good weather window and enjoy the mountain.

The rangers have been busy flying equipment to the high camps and removing human waste. We were lucky to get some great photos from the SW, East and NW aspects on the mountain. Here is a selection of them:

Wapowety Cleaver and the Kautz Glacier

Fuhrer's Finger

The upper Kautz and Nisqually Glaciers

The upper Nisqually, Ingraham and Emmons Glaciers.

The upper Emmons and Winthrop Glaciers

Curtis Ridge, the Willis Wall and Liberty Ridge