Greetings Fellow Climbers,
The Cascades climbing season is in full swing! This is our favorite time of year as we have climbers exploring all over the Pacific Northwest. In addition to our climbs in Cascades we also have several expeditions already deep in the Alaska range making moves up Denali. Internationally, our Everest expedition led by Ben Jones is currently at Camp 3 on their summit rotation and should be summiting in just a few days. You can follow our Everest expedition updates here.
Tahoma (Mount Rainier)
Mount Rainier has picked up several feet of snow over the past week above 10,000ft. The recent heavy snowfall paused teams from reaching the summit due to the inclement weather and increase in avalanche hazard. Now looking ahead, the forecast is calling for a wonderful sunny Memorial Day Weekend and we anticipate our guided teams climbing on the upper mountain and reaching the summit. Mount Rainier National Park will be opening access to the White River side of the park this weekend which allows climbing access to the popular Emmons glacier route. Our first Emmons glacier team heads out on Sunday morning for a four day climb.
North Cascades and Beyond
The storm also produced heavy snowfall in the North Cascades with several feet of snow falling above 6,000ft. Our teams on Mount Baker reported good climbing and skiing conditions both on the Easton and Squawk glaciers. Guides said it is good to start at the trailhead with boots as the trail is muddy down low with a transition to snow within 90 minutes. Access to the north side of Mount Baker will continue to be a longer approach this season as the Forest Service does not anticipate repairing the washed out bridge before the fall season. In other parts of the state teams reported phenomenal conditions on Mount Adams and Glacier Peak with good seasonal snow coverage and excellent climbing conditions.
Have a great weekend and see you in the mountains!
