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.

Patience for Powder

There's an excitement in the air as the new snow falls on the mountain and things begin to feel like winter.  Skiers and boarders have been seen hiking their new planks up 2000 feet searching for small snow patches to link a couple of turns.  And though there is some fresh snow around the mountain, it's barely filled in the old icy sun-cupped base layer.  Please use caution if choosing to ski in these difficult and often dangerous conditions.  We've already had a couple of skiing accidents on the mountain and the culprit has not been lack of skill, but poor conditions. 

It's best to wait out poor conditions and likely injury to shred real pow in the heart of winter.  Going for a trail run, foraging for huckleberries, and maybe even a late-season swim in an alpine lake with a thin wet suit are all more seasonally appropriate activities.

As summer turns to winter our seasonal staff starts to migrate away from the mountain.  High camps will only be staffed very occasionally, search and rescue response to on-mountain incidents will be delayed, and the park's exclusive-use helicopter has also departed the area.  This time of year requires an extra amount of caution and experience to recreate up at higher altitudes.  Remember that there's no official that will be helping you judge when the conditions are too poor to be out and about on the mountain.  You and your party members must be responsible for your own safety.  Make safe decisions so that you can enjoy many winters to come!

DC: Final update for 2018

September 20th is the last day for full-time Ranger Station operations at Camp Muir.  There will be intermittent staffing, but don't rely on a ranger presence on the upper mountain.  The Paradise Wilderness Information Center is also closed for the season.  Climbers can still self-register at Paradise or any of the open ranger stations in Longmire or White River. 

Guide operations will continue though September.  The current route seams to be holding together with minimal change over the past few weeks.  It's still crossing the Cowlitz, ascending through Cathedral Gap, traversing over from Ingraham Flats to the Disappointment Cleaver, ascending the spine of the cleaver, traversing back to the west to the top of Gibraltar Rock, and then zig-zagging from the top of Gib to the summit crater.  Icy steep serac walls, skiffs of new snow hiding deep crevasses, and newly formed wind slabs are all hazards that climbers will encounter this time of year, along with the usual rockfall, icefall, and altitude hazards that occur year-round. 
 
If you're planning a climbing trip to Mount Rainier next season and are doing some pre-trip planning follow these links to view our in-depth route briefs on the Disappointment Cleaver Route, the Emmons-Winthrop Glacier Route, the Kautz Glacier Route, and Liberty Ridge.  


Thanks for a great summer season!  Happy Autumnal Equinox and see you next year!

Camp Muir / DC Update

September 16th, 2018

This is the last day for registration at the Paradise Wilderness Information Center, formerly called the Climbing Information Center. Self-registration is now in effect only at Paradise until spring of 2019. Don’t forget to purchase your annual climbing pass at Pay.Gov.

Climbers can still register in-person (which we recommend) in Longmire and White River.  Check the park's operating hours and pay special attention to the date at which the operating hours change as we move into winter.

Flurries over the past few days have helped create a nice new layer of snow up high on the mountain. Old tracks on the Muir Snowfield and the DC are getting covered up. Guided groups are still at high camp, along with a few independent parties, but - like last night - the stormy weather and lack of kicked-in boot pack prevented all climbers from making the summit. The low pressure weather system and precipitation is forecast to continue throughout today with winds and precipitation tapering off into Monday. Tuesday is forecast to be the beginning of some better weather with high pressure moving into the region.

Muir Snowfield on 9/14/2018

Periods of pleasant fall weather will continue into October, but encountering winter conditions should be part of your planning when visiting the park for the rest of the season.  Be aware that there are periods lasting multiple days this time of year where the mountain conditions are too dangerous for climbing.  Realize that there is no gate at Camp Muir, or even at Paradise, "closing" the mountain when it's this dangerous.  You and your climbing party are responsible for your own safety and must properly assess the hazards to know when to be out on the mountain.