It's about time

Slush Cup did pass, but things became very busy (administratively) for me...

The Perseid meteor shower slipped by, signaling a season shift. For those above 8K, this means that fall is in the air and one should be prepared for ice on the mountain. Of course, that shouldn't indicate that the climbing is over... However, NPS stats indicate that climbing registration drops off once mid-August comes around. That trend seems true this year too. This is especially the case on the Emmons Route where there have already been nights without any climbers at Camp Schurman. If you're curious, check out the route condition updates on the DC, Emmons and Muir Snowfield. Things still seem OK.

Other NPS news includes the re-opening of HWY 123 to the public, possibly as early as Sept. 14th. Stay tuned.

Otherwise, the weather turned for the worse today... That is, rain, lower freezing levels, more cold weather. What happened to summer? It seems that we've had a rough one in 2007.

Slush Cup

Well, it seems that "Slush Cup" went big time this year. While we climbers were trudging up the Emmons variation of the DC, the folks from TAY were skimming across a pond on skis and snowboards, courting NPR radio reporter Tom Banse. Was it perhaps the slick video that attracted the attention of the rangers and media? Somehow, they turned a damp gray day below Pinnacle Peak into radio propaganda for those who pursue "turns all year." That is, turns all year, year after year after year after year...

Which begs the questions, what constitutes "turns"? It seems that strapping on your boards for "sand dune" turns in eastern Washington could actually qualify you for the honor; however carving Mt. Hood's salty slush in August may not. There are rules and qualifiers for everything. Go figure! Photo provided by Ron Jarvis, who frequently haunts Rainier's slopes in pursuit of skiable snow (what a surprise.)

And regarding mountain climbing... there is little "new" news to share. Climbers are successfully ascending the primary routes, so things must be holding together. There are ranger patrols on the Kautz and Emmons glaciers. Look for those reports later this week.

Super Summit

Recent news begins with Dave Uberauga's and Randy King's successful ascent of the mountain last Saturday. If you don't know, Dave is Superintendent and Randy is the Deputy Superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park. Perhaps you haven't seen them much on the mountain because they have been rather busy with the flood recovery, Paradise construction projects, new guide services and routine "day to day" business of the park since their last attempt in 2006.

We're all smiles in this summit photo, taken after a 6 - 1/2 hour ascent from Camp Muir up the DC-Emmons variation. On Saturday, we found excellent conditions: firm snow, light winds, great boot-track (though LONG). Somehow, a rather sizable rock wedged into Dave's crampons (he's on the left in the photo) at Cathedral Gap and he carried it to 12,300ft before discovering the handicap! Randy (right in photo) wasn't interested in extra weight, and stayed focused on technique since his last 3 summit attempts were thwarted by rescues and/or bad weather.

Aside from climbing, they spent the better part of Thursday and Friday talking to the public, guides, climbing rangers and Ted (guru of all things "essential" at Camp Muir) to get a sense of the mountain action. The main points of attention were the Camp Muir plan (which addresses facility and toilet deficiencies) and the new guide service operations.

CLIMBING AND ROUTES: This is that time of year when some of Mt Rainier's climbing routes begin to really loose their fancy with climbers and skiers. It's not that they are "closed" or "unclimbable," it's just that experienced climbers generally get nervous when too much of the route is threatened by rockfall or blocked by gaping crevasses. As an example, a few teams attempted Liberty and Ptarmigan last week; neither were able to get "on route" due to the hazards/obstacles.

SAFETY: And speaking of crevasses - go to the Muir Snowfield. Look for a thin gash in the ice near 9,200 feet (top of Moon Rocks). I'm sure it will grow, and I'm sure there will be more. And how about another safety reminder? Wear your helmet when climbing to the summit! Also, the weather has been quite warm. When it is, expect soft snow by late morning and early afternoon. This could be welcome news to some (b/c it's easier on the knees) however others may find it difficult to descend when the snow and slush "ball up" in their crampons. Crampons "balling up" can sometimes lead to a serious fall (esp. when left unchecked)...

Excitement at Camp Muir

Camp Muir was a popular place this weekend, perhaps because the weather was so good and all of the extra promotion on this blog. On Saturday, there was a steady cadence of day hikers, climbers and skiers/boarders ascending the snowfield to give mountain-type praise to Rainier. Most, it seemed, left the park quite satisfied.

I spent the weekend at Camp Muir and checked out Rainier's primary climbing route. It had been a month since last I was there, and I kept hearing these crazy rumors about gnarly crevasse crossings involving sketchy ladders. Well, those rumors were indeed true. As you can see above, my friend Bob Murphy works his way across a downward leaning, left angling ladder that BARELY touched both sides of the crevasse. Our team ended up turning back at the next "laddered" crevasse crossing because the uphill end of the ladder didn't reach the snow on the other side - whoa... It was suspended mid-air, by tauntly-pulled cordage attached to snow pickets!

The important take-home news is that climbing the Disappointment Cleaver is over, for now... Most teams are reaching the summit from Camp Muir via the Emmons Glacier. This involves dropping climbers right from Ingraham Flats and traversing below the Cleaver onto the Emmons Glacier. There are some pros and cons to this "new" and longer route, but my thoughts are that this variation will come as welcome news to most of you. First off, the the route is quite scenic. Moreover, it doesn't include the DC rock scramble and avoids that wild crevasse network above the cleaver that appeared to me to be an accident waiting to happen.

Regarding accidents: there was another rescue this weekend and again the incident was minor and quickly resolved. While descending from the summit, an RMI client took a spill and dislocated his shoulder. Thankfully, he did not lose control or pull anyone into a crevasse. The accident led to a speedy lowering from the guides to roughy 11K, where a helicopter could evacuate the injured man.

I watched with unique interest as almost every climber in base camp paused and stared as the CH 47 Chinook Helicopter lumbered by enroute for the Ingraham Glacier. The pick-off went smoothly, largely due to the U.S. Army and the response from the RMI guides. That said, the sight of the Chinook was an interesting "shot across the bow" for many hopeful summiteers planning the next day's adventure.

Thank you Paul Charlton for stepping in yesterday... Photos by Mike Gauthier. 1. Bob Murphy crossing a crevasse near 12,400 feet above the DC; 2. Climbers approaching Ingraham Flats; 3. Gapping crevasses above the sea of clouds, as viewed from new Emmons variation of the DC route.

A busy weekend indeed

Rapidly changing route dynamics, crazy ladders spanning crevasses, one helicopter, and battalions of happy visitors—-it was an exciting weekend at Mt. Rainier! Mike spent the last few days on the mountain at Camp Muir and surveyed the situation on both of the major DC route variations climbing above Muir. He will return from Muir tomorrow with some excellent photos from the weekend’s activities. Check back on the blog tomorrow night to get the scoop!

~Paul Charlton...

Great weather, busy weekend and Slush Cup...

Traditionally, the last week of July and the first week of August are the busiest times to climb Mount Rainier. This is probably due to the fact that the success rates are also high during this period and that stable weather tends to be relatively reliable. This upcoming weekend promises similar attributes. As it stands now, the primary high camps are largely booked and the weather looks quite good. This could be your chance to reach the summit.

Our ski buddies over at Turns All Year are promoting the annual Slush Cup (make sure you watch the video). Personally, I'm hurt that they did not invite the climbing ranger staff and me (we love to ski and snowboard too) to join them... Oh well, perhaps we'll crash (I mean monitor) the party (I mean event) to make sure that everything is safe and in order...

No mountain news can be good mountain news this time of year. For your climbing interests, I found that the U.S. airlines have taken up climber spray. Delta's Sky Magazine ran a story about one team's ascent of Liberty Ridge (not sure what year). If you're flying the friendly skies (or is that United?) look for the hard copy in your forward pocket next to the barf-bag. Make sure that your tray table and seatback are upright and in the locked position, and that your carry-on luggage is securely stowed in the overhead bin for take off's and landings.

Naturally speaking and more about the Colorado climbers

It's been rather quiet on the mountain lately... and there really isn't a lot of Rainier gossip to share. On the naturalist front, the alpine flowers are blooming and those pesky insects (mosquitoes, flies, no-see-ums) are out in full force.

Bureaucratically speaking, some climbers are arriving "after hours" and think it's OK to start a trip without getting a permit first. Unless you'd like to be turned around mid-trip, ensure that you have a permit in hand. If you think you're going to show up when the ranger stations are closed, give a call beforehand (and not the day before either) so they can help you out. The climbing ranger phone number is: 360-569-2211 ext 6009.

My last post about the Colorado climbers drew a few comments from the team leader. In an effort to keep this blog fun and balanced (with preference towards fun), I'm going to share his truncated version of the events (with minor edits to protect the guilty and innocent.)

"To set the record straight, it was the ranger's choice to proceed down the mountain with the hot water. I spoke to him shortly after reaching Muir myself and informed him that we had radio and GPS contact with the other two climbers. They were in communication with me and informed me that things were under control and the[y] were proceeding up the hill towards Muir safe and warm. I told the ranger this and he still made the choice to go down the mountain. Furthermore, I was prepared to dump my pack and proceed down the mountain with another member of our party if necessary."

Well the ranger did describe things differently, but the Coloradoans have another Rainier trip planned this summer so we'll see what happens when they return (perhaps we'll get a great trip report with summit photos?!) In the meantime, take note that the weather has improved remarkably since last week and climbers are once again reaching the summit.