Mount Rainier: June 3-5, 2008

[SherpaKroto]

Nice job guys! Whenever I read about Rainier climbs, I get all soft inside. Well done!
Now about that last little walk across the crater... good excuse to go back, eh? As far as its technical demands (the crate to the summit), you'd likely have more trouble getting through a mall.

 

[Darl58]

Hey great pics John! Enjoyed reading your TR.

Glad you had a fun trip!
Congrats!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Fine trip report, and cool to see all of the Cascade volcanoes poking through the undercast clouds like ships on a raging sea, similar to the Presi's this past Saturday? (see other trip report).

 

[Chip]

okay, here's my slideshow. Let me know if the link doesn't work. It's not perfect yet, but most of it's there. I'll suggest you view on the "Full Screen" option down at the bottom.
Here's another link to the same slideshow. Not sure which works best yet.

Thanks for looking !

 

[WinterWarlock]

Saw today's news of a death and rescue on Rainier, and was very glad to hear you guys made it out safely...nice report and pics. The news said there were blizzard conditions, and that this was the coldest June in 100 years on Rainier.

 

[Chip]

Very sad. We walked out thursday afternoon in 40mph sustained winds and snow/sleet whiteout conditions. "Independents" were asking to decend with us. We took 1. A'la Giggy, I referred to the conditions as "The Suck". We were fine, decending in winter conditions, but there were groups still trying to head up at 2 and 3pm. There was snow covering deep slush in some of the steep fields. Temps were above freezing all day and then would dip below, very tough conditions, especially heading up.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Northern Rockies weather forecast

check out this forecast for up to a foot of snowfall predicted for the northern Rockies tonight and tomorrow:

http://www.accuweather.com/regional...ler=0&region=westusnews&date=2008-06-10_12:56

 

[WinterWarlock]

Very sad. We walked out thursday afternoon in 40mph sustained winds and snow/sleet whiteout conditions. "Independents" were asking to decend with us.

Chip -

Sad indeed - it's been a tough couple of weeks for hikers...

Given the conditions, I'm curious as to how IMG responded to being asked by the independents to descend with your team?

Scott

 

[Chip]

Chip -

Sad indeed - it's been a tough couple of weeks for hikers...

Given the conditions, I'm curious as to how IMG responded to being asked by the independents to descend with your team?

Scott

there is a park ranger or 2 stationed at Muir who people can go to. one Italian guy had gotten separated from his 2 friends and a group of 3 others asked to descend with us in the white-out, 30-40mph winds and snow/sleet. IMG agreed to take the 1 guy down but not the additional 3 as that would've been too large a group to manage safely. I'm not sure what the 3 did.

 

[Paradox]

Given the conditions, I'm curious as to how IMG responded to being asked by the independents to descend with your team?

They say: Yes, come along. But make it known that their first responsibility is to their clients.

I know there is a bit of tension between Indies and the guides. However, I get the feeling that much of it is smugness on the part of Indies vrs clients. Chip and I would make light of it by making bleeting and lowing calls occasionally as we moved along in line. Others in our guided group would make critical comments on the type of equipment or techniques Indies would be using. I considered it standard issue human nattering we've all experienced.

At this stage of my life I cannot afford to lose fingers. I am impressed by the safety record of the guiding services as well as their much higher success rate at getting people to the summit.

 

[AntlerPeak]

Congrats Paradox and Chip. No view to speak of but it seems The Mountain smiled on you, one day later and "ouch". The sun finally came out today. On Monday there were sixty mile hour per winds in south King County, not too far from Ashford. 18K homes without power, while a blizzard raged on Rainier. Here is today's story about those hikers, one dead, two seriously hurtin'
Hikers

Came out here a year ago to escape the heat and humidity. We can say that was a success. Not too crazy about the coldest June in a hundred years or several feet of snow in White Pass. It looks like access to some of the high elevations won't melt out until August. But after the 115, the NE 100, the NE-At one has to find another reservoir of mountains.

Anyway great achievement and on good days we can see the mountain from here.

 

[Woody]

Chip and Paradox,

Congratulations on a good climb. Hiking in the Whites and the Adks is good training for the Cascades, especially doing winter 4K's here in the Northeast. I would agree that good conditioning is the key for a fun trip.

My brother and I took a trip up Rainier in '05 with RMI and we had a great time. Going with a guide service is a good way to go. They take care of all the logistics.

Thanks for the great trip report!

Woody

 

[Early Bird]

Wow! Great job Paradox and Chip. It looks amazing out there in June like that. I'm honored to have done some training with you in the Whites. I'm also jealous of the rosy finch. I've hiked around Rainer and up in Banff. Kept my out out for it, but wasn't rewarded. Chip, I like the Stellar's jay pics and the ones inside the cave. Did anyone else notice the Old Man of the Mountain-esque rock formation?

 

[Chip]

Wow! ... Did anyone else notice the Old Man of the Mountain-esque rock formation?

COOL !!! I didn't want to name it as such (due to local pride) but that's just what I saw there. Not a great pic in the white-out we descended in, but we saw it. That was on the shoulder between Ingraham Flats and Muir looking south away from Ingraham.

 

[leaf]

nice job guys. mt. rain-gear is a great peak.

 

[Paradox]

Review of Rainier Beer



.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Review of Rainier Beer

Too funny!

 

[Chip]

when we asked for a local beer the local waitress said "there ain't one." .

 

[Hampshire]

Congrats,

I just returned from IMG's office from a Liberty Ridge trip and noticed Holderness, NH under a name on thier 2008 sign-in board. I live in Bridgewater, NH.

Congrats again.