Our long anticipated climb of Mt. Rainier this year turned into more of a route reconnoissance trip due to the warm wet snow conditions and high winds forecast for the summit. Our plan was to ascend to just below Camp Hazard on the edge of the Turtle snowfield Friday night, ascend to the summit and bivy there Saturday and descend via the standard DC route on Sunday. True to this years Washington weather pattern, we were unable to succeed in our planned ambitions. We did however succeed in having a great time and did some valuable route reconnoissance for a future climb.
Along for the ride (left to right) were Andy (me), Jon, Alan and Jacob
Jacob, just glad to be out in the mountains, regardless of the weather
Further on and further up into the mist. Not the greatest weekend for photography, but documented none the less.
Time to rope up once on the Nisqually glacier. The weather was quite warm, on-and-off dense clouds and drizzle.
Upwards onto the Wilson Glacier, headed for the ridge beside the Turtle snowfield
"It's breaking up" as Alan is known to say, near our first views of the icefall up close.
We passed and caused many loose wet snow slides.
Our final approach to camp.
Ensconced comfortably in our designer kitchen, enjoying hot drinks and snacks.
View from the front yard, looking back at our camp.
No, it's not dish soap.... it's Jon's gut rot
Morning brought us more of the same; some sun, some clouds, some rain, some wind. Mt. Adams peaked out for just a few minutes in the distance.
By the time we headed out, it was looking quite nice.
Back to clouds.
Self portrait - the only way I get any photos of me.
Approaching Camp Hazard, several camps on the rocks to the left. This was our original planned camp spot.
This is the famed rock step, a 30' repel off a fixed anchor.
Our first look at the Kautz near the bottom of the first ice slope.
This is as far as we dared go in these conditions. Just a few minutes later, the ice cliff in the upper right of this photo, about the size of an 8 story building, let loose. It instantly pulverized into a river of ice chunks flowing down the mountain, causing a huge cloud filled with ice bits which enveloped us and stung our faces. We were all in awe.
Jacob on the climb back up the rock step.
Back in camp, the large rock which had slid down towards our tents was still in tact. Why we pitched our tents there, I'll never know. The rest of the trip was uneventful except for the start of heavy rain and wind. We retreated to our tents, only to learn that my new tent was not holding back the wet. With sleeping bag and clothes getting wet, I suggested bailing early and heading down for a burger and IPA. It didn't take too much to convince the others, and in 3 hours we were back at the cars.
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