Inter Glacier May 26th, 2019

Views down the Inter Glacier into Glacier Basin 

With the opening of Highway 123, Highway 410, both Chinook and Cayuse Pass and the White River road, the Inter Glacier and Camp Schurman are now much more easily accessible for the summer season. Climbing rangers were able to snap a few shots of the route up the Inter Glacier just before the stormy, weekend weather settled in. Surprisingly, the only evidence of activity in the area was one set of ski tracks down the middle of the glacier.

Plenty of  untouched snow looking toward Steamboat Prow

Despite the relatively high snow line this spring, good snow coverage still exists from Glacier Basin and above. Skiers can expect to be hiking there skis up the trail, through patchy snow for roughly 2.5 miles before coverage becomes consistent enough for skinning. Coverage on the glacier remains very filled in and planar with minimal open crevasses. Climbers and skiers should still use caution when approaching any of the convexities within the terrain as they often harbor crevasses.

Widespread natural avalanche activity throughout the area

Although surface conditions held good corn in the late morning hours, natural avalanche activity was prevalent throughout the basin.  Stormy weather over the weekend continues to produce strong winds, low visibility and new precipitation that will undoubtedly decrease the stability of the snowpack. Skiers should come with the necessary equipment and skill sets to assess the snow stability and the terrain appropriately. Once the weather clears out and the new snow begins to settle, there will be plenty of great skiing for those willing to come and get it!

Ingraham Direct - 05/17/2019

Storms stacked up across the Pacific Ocean. Photo: NOAA

After an exceptionally dry and sunny period in early May, the weather and snow conditions on Mount Rainier have returned to a more typical pattern for this time of year. The upper mountain has received well over a foot of new snow in the past few days. Guides and the Northwest Avalanche Center have reported significant wind slab and storm slabs above Camp Muir. In fact, no group has gone above Ingraham Flats in the past few days due to this increased avalanche hazard. It may take some time after these storms for the snowpack instabilities to stabilize. 

Visibility has been fair-to-poor for most of the week and navigation has been challenging, even on the Muir Snowfield. There are no wands on the snowfield and the bootpack has been frequently obscured by new snow. If you are planning a trip up the snowfield, be prepared with a GPS and knowledge of how to use it before you leave the parking lot. It is easy to get disoriented on the snowfield, especially on the descent, and many parties have become lost in similar conditions in the past.

Remember to check the Mount Rainier Recreational Weather Forecast and the park webcams as part of your planning process before coming to the mountain.

Emmons-Winthrop 5/9/2019

Emmons-Winthrop Glacier as seen from the prow.

Rangers climbed the Emmons-Winthrop with good weather and varied snow conditions. The route can be climbed several different ways right now. Rangers made tracks from Camp Schurman to the summit on routes climbing up the Winthrop shoulder and the Corridor. Overall the routes are straightforward and crevasses are filled in making for relatively direct travel to the summit. The route options above 13,400’ that cross the bergschrund have not been explored yet for the season. The current tracks traverse out to Liberty saddle at this elevation before returning to the summit. 

Climber approaching 13,400' on the Winthrop Shoulder

Surface conditions along the traverse to Liberty Saddle

The uphill travel on the Winthrop Shoulder is favorable over the Emmons Corridor. The surface conditions on climbers far right side of the shoulder holds excellent cramponing with supported smooth scoured snow all the way to 13,400'. Most of the large crevasses on the Emmons taper down as they reach the shoulder so the crossings are smaller and there are less of them to navigate. Climbing up the face of the shoulder is steep but can be managed easily with good travel technique. A few small crevasse crossings and sagging snow bridges will be encountered between the face and Camp Schurman. An early start is recommended, once the sun has softened the snow on the surface it can make the face considerably more difficult to climb.

Surface conditions in the Alpine Meadow

The Emmons Corridor route is holding a large amount of wind blown snow in the alpine meadow zone. This section of the route between 11,000' to 12,600' has unsupportable soft snow with boot top penetration. Getting from the Corridor to the Alpine Meadow is not straightforward as it has been in the past. There are different options, but all of them with unique route finding. The traditional snow passage leading off the corridor to the meadow is a mix of large seracs, sloping blue ice, and drifts of deposited snow. Use caution when passing through this zone as surface conditions warm. The corridor from 11,000' down to Camp Schurman is generally smooth with minor crevasse hazard. 

Climber approaching the traverse to access the Alpine Meadow

Corridor surface conditions

With a high pressure system in place over the past week, the mountain has been beautiful, sunny and warm with freezing levels rising over 10,000'. The extended forecast is calling for more of the same. Go to the Mt Rainier Recreational Forecast to get the latest.

Climber on the Winthrop Shoulder just above the face

The early birds get the best view!  Have fun, be safe!

North and West Side Conditions Update 5/10/2019

  

Carbon glacier and Liberty Ridge

      This past week of excellent weather allowed a pair of climbing rangers to circumnavigate the mountain and get eyes on many of the climbing routes. As a general trend, many of the routes on the mountain are holding less snow than average for this time of year but are still in good shape. This post will focus mostly on the routes on the North and West sides, for specifics on the Kautz, DC, or Emmons-Winthrop, see those specific blog posts.

Curtis Ridge: The lower half of the route to the Gendarme is snow covered. The upper cliff bands appear to be quite dry and ice runnels were not plainly visible.

Curtis Ridge and the Carbon Glacier, viewed from the Russell Glacier

Liberty Ridge and the Carbon Glacier: The lower Carbon is relatively filled in, allowing what appear to be at least 2 viable approaches to Liberty Ridge

The Carbon Glacier and North side of the mountain

 Mowich Face Routes: All routes appear to have possible bergschrund crossings, the Edmunds Headwall presents the most complicated looking bergschrund crossing. No ice fall debris was evident, but the cliffs still loom quite large.

The Mowich Face and Edmunds Headwall

Sunset Ridge: The approach via the Puyallup and South Mowich Glaciers are filled-in and present few navigational challenges. The ridge itself appears snowy all the way to the top.

Lower Sunset Ridge from the South Mowich Glacier

Tahoma Glacier: This route appears to be quite broken above about 9500 feet. The lower Tahoma Glacier from Glacier Island up to 9500’ offers reasonable passage to the Tahoma Cleaver. The Sickle has recent-looking debris from serac fall.

The upper Puyallup Glacier

Success Cleaver: Largely snow covered with bits of rock poking out.
Success Couloir: Bergschrund still appears to be passable. Headwall melting out with lots of exposed rocks

A Climbing Ranger ascending early in the morning. Success Couloirs in the background.

With the unseasonable warm temperatures forecasted for the coming weekend, be prepared for changing conditions on many of these routes. Be cognizant of your travel timing, and be aware of the possibility of wet loose and wet slab avalanches on all aspects. As always, check the weather forecast before departing and be prepared.

Gibraltar Ledges May 8, 2019

Looking back towards Camp Muir and the ledges along Gibraltar Rock

As the high pressure and sunny skies continue to dominate the region this week, climbing rangers had an opportunity to climb Gibraltar Ledges. Once the original guided route up the mountain, “Gib” Ledges is still an engaging and direct route to Camp Comfort and onto the summit. Due to it’s S/SW aspect however, the snowy ledges that make the route viable quickly melt out each season. Based on conditions encountered by rangers this week, the route may melt out sooner rather than later with the continued warm weather.

Easy, albeit firm, early morning booting up and across the Cowlitz Glacier will gain you the south saddle at the base of Gibraltar Rock. From here, the route is fairly straight forward as you traverse west along the base of Gib Rock. Climbers should be cognizant of overhead rockfall and exposure to steep, firm slopes below. As you work west towards Gibraltar Chute and the Nisqually Icefall, the exact route may vary slightly depending on snow coverage. As upper Gib Chute comes into view, the route towards Camp Comfort will become clear. Snow in the steeper pitches of the chute was wind packed and made for easy booting. Two pitches of running belays had rangers to the top of the chute and up to Camp Comfort without issue. Although only one tool was necessary for ascending the softer surface conditions, two tools or ice screws may be warranted if the snow becomes firm or icy. From Camp Comfort, the route easily ties back into the wanded Ingraham Direct for quick travel to the summit.

Finishing off the 2nd pitch of steep terrain in Gibraltar Chute

For those climbers looking to attempt an alternate or simply direct route to the top of Mt. Rainier, Gibraltar Ledges is an enjoyable and engaging option. Route finding, moderate belayed climbing and exciting exposure make this a great option for those looking to put their mountain skills to good use. As snow continues to melt out on the ledges, climbing security diminishes and rockfall hazards increase so an attempt sooner rather than later may be prudent. Climbers can also get a good visual on the Gibraltar Ledges while driving up to Paradise and ascending the Muir Snowfield. If you’re fortunate enough to get on this route before it melts out, it’s sure to be a worth while endeavor!

Track Log of the route linking up with the Ingraham Direct above Gibraltar Rock

Ingraham Direct Conditions Update May 6th

This weekend’s warm weather and sunny skies brought climbers and skiers to the slopes of Mount Rainier.  The Ingraham Direct route is beginning to see ascents from independent climbers as well as the guide services.  The route is very direct - currently 3.5 miles Camp Muir to the creator rim.  The climbing route ascends the Ingraham Glacier above Ingraham Flats (avoiding Disappointment Cleaver at the moment). There is one small plank spanning a crevasse (around 11,600’) and one ladder (around (11,800). Both of which are fairly benign crossings.  The route ascends to Camp Comfort and climbs directly to creator rim from there.  For an in-depth description, and descriptions of the E/W, Kautz Glacier and Liberty Ridge routes, see the links to the right.

With the forecasted warm weather, be heads-up for rockfall when climbing above Camp Muir (especially between Camp Muir and Ingraham Flats), as well as loose wet avalanches on solar slopes at lower elevations.

The snowpack on the ID and above Camp Comfort is relatively thin.  We highly recommend roping up while climbing the ID route, as there are many open and hollow crevasses that warrant the security that a rope can provide.

Lastly, make sure to pack out what you pack in and do your best to keep the mountain looking pristine for everyone.  Be on the lookout for micro trash and litter.  Even if it's not yours, throw it into a pocket and dispose of it once you reach a trash can.

Looking up the Ingraham Direct from Ingraham Flats.

Descending the Ingraham Direct, about to cross the lower plank.

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