Hello climbers,
Summer is in full swing here in the Cascades. Last week, we saw freezing levels above normal for this time of year, but we are about to shift to much cooler temperatures and slight amounts of precipitation in the coming week. We anticipate the frontal system to begin on Friday and persist until early next week. Cooler temps and lower-than-normal freezing levels should favor our climbing conditions, keeping the climbing routes all across the Cascades in fantastic shape.
Mount Rainier (Tahoma)
The Muir route up Rainier is climbing well. The existing route continues to climb the Disappointment Cleaver and is still very direct. Within the last week, the we’ve rerouted around 13,200 ft to adjust for changes on the mountain, and our teams have enjoyed a clear path to the summit throughout the week. There are a few small sections of steeper climbing where running protection exists, but the current route does not include any ladder crossings. On the other side of the mountain, our Emmons team summited on Wednesday and reported fantastic climbing conditions above Camp Schurman.
Mount Baker (Koma Kulshan)
Baker camp is starting to make its slow transition from snow to rock as snow begins to melt quickly at lower elevations. Over the past week, our teams have reported that crevasses are finally starting to open up on the Easton route. These crevasses are easily avoidable on the current route. The North side routes are still in great climbing shape with no significant changes over the last week. On the north side, the road is still washed out and adds a couple hours to the approach to Hogsback Camp.
Across the Cascades
Climbing teams from our other Cascades trips continue to report stellar climbing conditions. Washington Pass is almost snow free on some of the classic routes on Liberty Bell and South Early Winter Spire. Glacier Peak is in prime condition with just the right amount of snow to create quick and direct travel across the glaciers and up the summit ridge. Alpine climbing groups also experienced snow-free travel while climbing around Snoqualmie Pass. Finally, Mount Adams groups have been cruising up and down a very well established route on the South Climb.
See you out there!
