Travelling on Muir Snowfield

All sunny weather spells come to an end eventually in the PNW. Winter has dropped in to visit Rainier once again.




This may come as a surprise to many who are traveling from afar, but the path from Paradise to Muir is still almost completely covered in snow. There are a few patches of ground popping out now around Marmot hill and Panorama point, but a majority of your travel will be on snow. And with a strong low pressure system coming through dropping temperatures and bringing  in snow down to 5000 ft in the coming days, it doesn't look like things will be melting out fast. That being said, hikers, skiers, and climbers should travel up the Muir snowfield prepared for the conditions, especially this coming weekend with the less than sunny weather forecast.




Know the weather and plan accordingly. Temperatures are going to be colder than they have been the last couple weeks. Be prepared for more winter like conditions with what you wear and bring for food and water. The snowfield is very exposed to winds. Rain shells and insulating layers are essential. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the coming days as well. There is no shelter out on the snowfield. Plan the timing of your hike accordingly.




Bring a GPS. For those used to traveling and navigating obviously marked trails or forested mountains, a map and compass or your natural sense of direction are not helpful when you are in a white-out on the Snowfield. We have had many people get lost on or off the Snowfield because of white-out conditions. There are times where you can't see the difference between the clouds and snow, what's the angle of the slope you are on, what is 5 feet in front of you, or whether you are moving or standing still (especially true to skiers). You can't take a bearing if you have nothing to reference off of. Wands are few and placed far apart and cannot be used as your sole method of navigating the field (they are not placed by the NPS and not regularly maintained0. This can be very dangerous for people who are unprepared. It is not hard to accidently wander too far left or right and fall off a steep slope or wander onto a severely crevassed glacier. For those of you coming prepared with your GPS, the following link has some helpful coordinates you can use to navigate the Snowfield in such conditions.
https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/upload/camp-muir-route-with-get-your-bearings-map-oct11.pdf




That all being said, as panorama point area begins to melt out, we ask people to start following the summer trail where it is exposed and not walking across the alpine meadows that have just surfaced out of the snow. Our park employees are working hard to put signage and ropes in to show where to walk as the snow recedes. We want to protect the beautiful and fragile alpine vegetation that is starting to pop out for visitors to see and enjoy throughout the summer.




For those who have planned a climbing trip this weekend are a bit disappointed with the weather, don't worry, the mountain will still be there. This could be a good weekend to still practice and hone in your skills (crevasse rescue, navigation, layering, etc) for you next summit attempt. Or wax your board or skis and get ready to sneak in a few more turns this season.

Liberty Ridge June 6, 2017

Ranger Waterfall leads out above Thumb Rock. Photo: NPS Reade

Climbing Rangers Reade and Waterfall climbed Liberty Ridge and descended the Emmons-Winthrop in in a 13.5 hour effort from Camp Schurman on June 6.

We left Camp Schurman at 10 PM and descended the Winthrop Glacier to approximately 7400' where we found an old boot track leading to lower Curtis Ridge. From lower Curtis we were able to easily descend to the Carbon glacier on a mix of scree and snow.

The route up the Carbon was very straightforward until 8600' where we encountered extremely large crevasses that forced us to zigzag up and down the glacier looking for bridges to cross the chasms. The bridges that we used may not last more than a few days. Looking down at the glacier from high up on the route however it appeared that there was a better path that traverses to the climbers right at about 8400'.

Once we were able access the bottom of the ridge the route finding was even more difficult. The moats and heavy crevassing forced us to climb onto the bottom of the ridge, traverse right and climb back out onto the Carbon. Then we had to climb the glacier towards Ptarmigan ridge to end run two large crevasses. From there we were able to traverse back left and climb over a small bergschrund to finally begin climbing Liberty Ridge for real.

Once on the ridge we had easy snow climbing until 9700' where we encountered the first of 3 ~fifteen foot rock bands. They each went at 4th to low 5th class on loose rock and we were very happy to climb these at night when the rock was somewhat frozen together. After the third rock band we climbed a few hundred more feet of snow to Thumb Rock.

At Thumb Rock we brewed up some water and relaxed for about 1.5 hours. While we waited for the snow to melt in our stove the sun rose and the wind increased and we observed an increase in rockfall. The majority of the rock rock went to the west side of the ridge but it is notable that the tent sites here are exposed to hazard from above.

We left Thumb and climbed on the east side of the ridge on variable snow and ice. There were large sections with high roackfall hazard as evidenced by lots of rock debris in the snow. We tried to move through those areas as quickly as possible.

Ranger Read climbing above Thumb Rock. Photo: NPS Waterfall

Nearing the top of the Black Pyramid the snow became increasingly more firm and there was exposed alpine ice where the wind had scoured the snow away. We found the climbing here to be increasingly intense on our calf muscles and the ability to climb this type of steep terrain while getting the weight off of our toes was critical to keeping a steady pace.

Ranger Waterfall climbing near the Black Pyramid. Photo: NPS Reade

 

 

The slope angle kicks back at 13,000' and we took a short break before heading up into the bergschrund. The bergschrund runs wall-to-wall and we were forced to climb into the ice cap on the climbers left. There we found a large ice system of ice ledges that allowed us to regain the bowl above the 'schrund. From there we climbed steep neve (up to 85 degrees) and finally gained upper Sunset Ridge and easier terrain. From there it was just 10 minutes of easy walking to the top of Liberty Cap.

 

 

Ranger Reade climbing into the Liberty Ice Cap. Photo: NPS Waterfall



All told we found the climbing to be engaging and sustained on the slopes above Thumb Rock and definitely worth the effort. However, the condition of the Carbon glacier and the degree of melting on the lower slopes in the next two weeks will possibly make accessing the ridge impossible.

Disappointment Cleaver (June 5th)

Rangers crossing the Cowlitz up to Cathedral Gap.

         Although it was a windy weekend up high on Mt. Rainier, those folks that managed to get above the marine layer were treated with plenty of sunshine. Low climber turnout in camp made for pleasant conditions as rangers made their way up the mountain to check out the DC route.  As of now, the route is fairly straight forward without any ladder crossings or pitched climbing. Currently, the crossing of the Cowlitz remains fairly benign and Cathedral gap has begun to melt out, exposing the dirt/rock. Gaining Ingraham Flats remains straight forward and the standard traverse onto the cleaver is still intact. 

Conditions on the Disappointment Cleaver. Notice 3 climbers traversing through the "ice box".

         
            The Disappointment Cleaver itself remains almost entirely snow at this point. Which means rockfall in the "bowling alley" isn't much of a concern at the moment. Many switchbacks and fixed pickets will get you to the top of the cleaver. These pickets are placed/maintained by the guide services and shouldn't be tampered with. That being said, always inspect pickets for their security/anchoring before clipping into them for a running belay. Again, be sure to thank the guides along the way for all the hard work they do maintaining the route. 

Route traverse under the serac and towards the Emmons shoulder at 12,800ft.

         From the top of the cleaver, the route trends up and right until it makes a long, flat traverse out towards the Emmons shoulder. At this point there will be an impressive, vertical serac wall above you. Be sure to admire it, but don't stop under hazards such as these along the route. Once you get passed the large wall, the route will take a steep switchback that trends SW up to 13,600 ft. After a few more crevasses to navigate, one last turn around the burgshrund will gain you access to the crater rim.

Track log of route up the DC

           The forecast is calling for warm, calm conditions early this week with deteriorating weather starting on Wednesday. If you plan on coming up the mountain this upcoming weekend be sure to be prepared for winter like conditions. GPS units with pre-programmed routes/tracks are crucial for glacial (and even snowfield) travel in white out conditions. We hope to see you up here!

Emmons-Winthrop 6/4/17

Sunset Panorama taken from Camp Schurman June 3, 2017 Photo: NPS Reade

The Emmons-Winthrop conditions are currently very good. Climbing Rangers Reade and Waterfall summitted via the route today (06/04).

From Camp Schurman the route ascends directly to Emmons Flats without difficulty. Just a couple hundred feet above the Flats it angles over to the Corridor on a large snow bridge. That bridge should last for the rest of June at a minimum. The climbing on the Corridor is very straight-forward, there are just a few small crevasses to avoid. There is no single boot path to follow though as climbers have ascended all over the Corridor trying to find the most efficient line.

At the top of the Corridor (~11,300') the route moves right through some rapidly opening crevasses. In the coming days and weeks this will probably become a difficult passage. After this tight passage the route continues to traverse right out onto the Winthrop (~12,200'). Once on the Winthrop the various boot tracks come together into a more coherent trail, mostly because you are forced to cross several large crevasses well out to the climbers right.

That said, it is a pretty straight shot up after 12,200'. Passing the bergschrund is still relatively simple and the only difference that you note when climbing through it is that the slope angle increases by about 10 degrees. All in all the route is in great shape.

Of note for skiers the top 2000' feet of the route has not been softening well with our recent high winds and many skiers are making the wise decision to down climb from the summit until they reach softer snow.

-Rangers Reade and Waterfall

Ranger Reade Descends the upper Winthrop Glacier. Photo: NPS Waterfall

Emmons

Good morning from Camp Schurman! There are only a handful of climbers in camp this morning. The winds were steady all night through early morning at about 30mph. The snow surface is supportable and the air temperature is moderately warm. No climbers went up this morning but the route appears to be in good condition. The weather forecast is calling for high winds again tonight on the summit with the potential for some precipitation over the weekend.

Disappointment Cleaver 5/29/2017

Looking back at the traverse above the Cleaver.

Memorial Day weekend brought beautiful weather and some changes to the climbing route above Camp Muir. While some parties continued to use the Ingraham Direct (ID) The majority of climbers and the guide services transitioned to the Disappointment Cleaver (DC) route over the past few days.

Overall, the DC is in great condition with many parties climbing each day, especially during the nice weather on Sunday. The Ingraham Direct (I.D.) is becoming somewhat hollow with an increasing likelihood of crevasse falls, leading to the switch to the DC. The single ladder on the I.D. is scheduled to be removed sometime in the next few days, along with all of the fixed pickets.

The Cleaver itself is almost entirely snow and begins with a well-shoveled traverse (and a handline) out onto the crest of the ridge. The upper half has a handful of switchbacks before arriving at a nice break spot near some the rocks atop the Cleaver.

Nearing the bergschrund around 13,800'

From the top of the Cleaver, the route does a rightward traverse nearly to the Emmons Shoulder. There are bountiful fixed pickets in the section, which can be used at your discretion. Part of this traverse is threatened by an overhanging serac, so try to move efficiently here.


The last thousand feet to the crater rim weaves around some large holes.  Try to maintain appropriate rope spacing up there, especially on the descent when slack is more likely to develop. On busy weekends, please work with the guides on the route to coordinate passing one another to avoid bottleneck situations. Also, as you pass them be sure to thank them for all of the hard work they put into maintaining such a nice route!