Kautz Glacier and Liberty Ridge In-Depth Route Guides

Based on the success of the two route guides that were published last year on the Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons-Winthrop Glacier routes, we decided to publish two additional documents this year.  The two routes we chose were the two next most popular routes; the Kautz Glacier and Liberty Ridge.

Each route guide is 20 to 30 pages in length.  Similarly organized, each document gives overall statistics, climbing history, recommended skills, a physical description of the approach, ascent, and descent, how to get current conditions, weather data and forecasting resources, ski mountaineering considerations, risk management strategies, resource protection, search and rescue statistics, as well as many other topics of discussion relative to each route.

Written by Mount Rainier climbing rangers, the text of each document is a holistic body of knowledge from nearly 1000 ascents of the 13 current rangers.  With the rough edges of opinions and approaches rounded out, the advice contained in the guides delivers the core elements of what you need to know.

There's something in these documents that you'll find interesting no matter what your skill level.  From historical use statistics to search and rescue data, you'll likely learn something you don't know.  The document contains weather forecasting recommendations and data, recommended additional reading, and lessons learned from search and rescue incidents.

Here are the direct links to each document on Mount Rainier's official webpage:

• Kautz Glacier
• Liberty Ridge
• Disappointment Cleaver
• Emmons-Winthrop Glacier

Enjoy the documents and have a great ascent!

Winter-like Conditions Return

Whiteout and flat light navigation in the Tatoosh Range. April 2019

This week has been a stormy one at Mount Rainier. Over the past two days, we have received over 30” of new snow at Paradise. Additionally, over 5” of water has fallen there in the past week; some of this was rain and the remainder snow. Whiteout conditions have been constant and navigation has been challenging, even when using all of the available tools (GPS, map, compass, altimeter, good decision-making skills). All considered, it feels like winter has returned to the mountain.

Rangers in the field today avoided avalanche terrain, but found between 2-3 feet of recent storm snow sitting on top of last week’s old, melted snow surface. This new snow has been blowing around, increasing avalanche danger and reducing visibility. Please consult the Northwest Avalanche Center for the current avalanche forecast as part of your trip planning process. With a slight rise in temperature, the new snowfall rapid transitioned from powder into “Cascade Concrete,” and ski quality was fair at best. Beware that the snow will continue to change with the weather and surface conditions and avalanche danger will change correspondingly.

The weather for this weekend looks to largely continue this stormy trend with sustained snowfall and windy conditions. Be sure to consult the weather forecast before your trip and come prepared for winter-like conditions. Just a reminder that the gate in Longmire closes to downhill at 5:30PM (depending on conditions, of course), so depart from the trailhead with plenty of time to make it down to Longmire before it's locked.

Early April Conditions

Mount Rainier from Panorama Point. April 4, 2019

After a warm and dry March, the total snowpack depth at Paradise is hovering around 120 inches on the ground. In fact, this is 71% of what an average year has as of April 1, 2019. Watch out for open holes or sagging snow surfaces in creek drainages and growing moats near rock outcroppings—give these a wide berth. Often these features are difficult to see until you are quite close to the opening, so consult the map, be observant, and plan a route that avoids these hazards. Avoid “dropping in blind” on convex slopes where the bottom isn’t visible, since it might end in a cliff, creek, or waterfall.

Lower Nisqually Glacier, The Fan, and The Turtle. April 04, 2019

The weather is forecast to become more typical for April over the coming week. This will likely mean result in many inches (or feet) of new snowfall at and above Paradise with rain below that elevation; this will create challenging navigation and travel conditions. Always be prepared to do all of your own navigation when traveling in the backcountry. The route to Camp Muir is not marked or wanded and there is no bootpack. Blowing snow can obscure your tracks in minutes, making the use a GPS a critical skill, especially above treeline or in areas with snow-covered trails. Always check the weather forecast as part of the planning process for your visit to the park and adjust your trip plans to match conditions.  Real-time weather data is available on the Northwest Avalanche Center’s website. Some of the low-elevation trails around Longmire are melting out, but higher elevation trails are still snowbound.   

The Tatoosh Range. April 04, 2019

With the change in the weather, avalanche danger is certain to change too. Always consult the Northwest Avalanche Center for the current avalanche forecast before your trip and use it during your planning process. Snow conditions can change rapidly this time of year, so be on the lookout for signs of snow instability and reduce or eliminate your exposure to avalanche terrain if necessary. New snow will be falling on a variety of surfaces, including melt-freeze grains, firm crusts, and sastrugi.

The gate at Longmire is currently closes at 5:30PM. Plan to depart Paradise with plenty of time to avoid getting locked in. All vehicles are still required to carry chains until May 1 including AWD/4WD. Consult the Mount Rainier Twitter Feed for road opening updates. 

Spring in the Air

Warm winds and sunny days have definitively marked the end of the winter season.  There's still plenty of time for winter-like storms to occur, but spring has officially begun and with that have come some changes around the mountain.  The recent high pressure system has consolidated the snow pack this last week.  Last Thursday, 154 inches of snow sat on the ground at Paradise.  By the end of today, Thursday, March 21st, the snow-depth measured just 130 inches - two whole feet in a week!  Check out the Northwest Avalanche Center's website for hourly updates.  There's also more birds out and about in the high country.  They seem to be chirping extra loud and excited about the sunny weather too.  Please remember not to feed or disturb the wildlife - no matter how curious they are! 

The beginning of spring also means the beginning of the wilderness permit reservation season at Mount Rainier.  Now is the time to get your plans together and submit a reservation for your summer climbing/camping trip here on the mountain.  Check the park's Wilderness Permits and Reservations webpage for more information and for the link to submit your reservation.  There's helpful info there that describes how to select your first choice of campsite, dates, etc.  And remember: even if you miss out on your reservation there's still a small percentage of campsites held for walk-up permits - so don't despair!

Climbers have made it to the summit during the last stretch of good weather via both the Gibraltar Ledges and the Ingraham Direct.  Reports have mentioned that there seems to be less snow up high (above 10,000 feet) and that crevasses above Gibraltar Rock and on the Ingraham Glacier are easy to navigate.  Early season ascents of the mountain are more difficult than summer ascents due to the extreme cold, longer storm cycles, and lack of a maintained route.  It's not recommended to climb this time of year without plenty of prior experience on the mountain during the regular climbing season - which is just around the corner!  See you on the slopes!  

Field of Snow

The cold sunny days this last weekend have been a boon for visitor's visibility.  It's nice to bust out the sunscreen this time of year!  All this solar radiation makes the summer season feel like it's just around the corner... and speaking of summer, it's almost time to put in your reservation requests.  On March 15th, the park begins accepting reservation requests for the summer season.  All requests received from March 15th to March 31st will be processed in a random order.  Starting April 1st, reservations will be processed in the order received.  Here's the link to the park's Wilderness Permit Website for the details.

Here's some other helpful links to start planning your trip into the park:

- Check out the Road Status Website and the Twitter Feed for up to date access info.

- Look to the Northwest Avalanche Center's forecast for both avalanche and weather data.

- See actual weather conditions via the park's webcams (Paradise Area Operates Year-Round).

Travel safely when journeying up to the park and remember to plan for any restrictions such as tire chains.  See you in the mountains!

Camp Muir - Wait for it...

Climbing rangers made it to Camp Muir today as this was our second day back to work after the shutdown.  Except for a set of tracks we saw from one intrepid hiker who made it to Camp Muir (evidently all the way from Longmire), there was no sign of anyone having been at Camp Muir in the last 5 weeks.  After 30 years of working at Mount Rainier, I can't recall if there has ever been a five week period where so few people have been up there.

Photo from Camp Muir looking out and up towards the Disappointment Cleaver through Cadaver Gap - 2019-01-29 - Lofgren

Nevertheless, we were anxious to get there to assess if winter storms presented us with any damage.  We knew at least that the Camp Muir weather telemetry was not working and weren't sure where the trouble was.

The temps were cold and the wind cut a pretty stiff chill as we left Paradise.  The snow is very firm and we were glad that we brought our ski crampons.  As we approached Panorama Point, we observed a relatively rare system of soft slab avalanche crown features and debris off of the west side of Panorama Point.

Wide angle shot of Panorama Point, January 28, 2019.  Look closely in the center for the avalanche debris. - Lofgren

Close up photo of soft slab avalanche that probably occurred on January 23 during storm and subsequent rain-on-snow event. - Lofgren

The snow proved to be so hard that skinning was impossible.  We shouldered our skis, then transitioned to carrying them on our backpacks as we ended up chopping each step with our whippets.

Finally on the snowfield, the wind abated and the sun began to warm us.  Off came the outer layers.  No wind.  By the time we were at Muir, we were in our base layers.

Photo of Camp Muir ranger station and Gibraltar Rock (and the summit) in the background, January 28, 2019 - Lofgren

Facilities looked to be in working order.  There is one toilet open and the public shelter was accessible through the main (albeit) half door.

We did get a chance to check out some problems with the telemetry.  We are working with other park employees, folks at the NWAC, and at NoHowInc to get things working again as fast as we can.

Climbing ranger Brian Hasebe discovers a broken antenna on the telemetry tower at Camp Muir, January 28, 2019. - Lofgren

Skiing down was another story - at least for the first 1000'.  The sastrugi was terrifying, even as the sun and lack of wind softened the top inch.  We traversed from windpad to windpad through a ski-torquing labyrinth of surface features.

We're excited to get the park open and there was much progress made on clearing the parking lot at Paradise today.  There is still work to be done widening the road as it had only been plowed to one lane during the shutdown.  Please stay tuned to NPS media sources (Facebook and Twitter) to learn when public access to Paradise is restored.

Remember your winter preparedness skills if you attempt winter trip to Camp Muir.

1. Have a GPS with maps on it that locates you automatically on the screen as well as a map, compass, and altimeter.
2. Bring extra batteries for your GPS, cell phone, and head lamp.
3. Get an excellent mountain weather forecast and avalanche forecast from the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.
4. Bring enough gear to thrive a night out if you get stuck, lost, or penned down with bad weather.  It isn't enough to merely 'survive' a night out.  Many don't with that level of preparedness.
5. You need to 'float' in the snow.  Often you can walk on the snow with just boots, however, depending on the extent of daily warming or new snow, what was easy going up or down can be impossible on the return trip.  Skis, snowshoes, or a split board are necessary.
6. Perhaps most crucial piece of gear is a shovel.  This is effectively your 'tent' that you left at home!  When you get penned down in bad weather or to thrive a night out, you'll need to build a snow cave.  Pretty much impossible with your hands.
7. Take into account what would happen if you fell on a steep slope.  Many a hiker in recent years have fell down Panorama Point and required a lengthy night time evacuation.  Bring crampons and know how to use them.  Bring an ice axe or a pole with a whippet end.
8. Bring an insulite pad, small rocket stove, as extra survivability insurance.

Have a great day and we look forward to seeing everyone out on the mountain again.