Greeting fellow climbers!
Summer has come back just in time for schools to start back up in the PNW. Today is a gorgeous day with temperatures in the mid 70’s and sunny! The cooler temps and precipitation over the past week packed the mountains, with mountains in the North Cascades receiving snow above 7K and snow falling to about 10K on Mt Rainier. With the weather pattern shift some wildfires have decreased and Washington Pass has reopened. Our teams made quick use of the highway reopening and have been rejoicing on the granite alpine rock. We currently have teams all over the PNW with groups on Mt Shuksan, Baker, Vesper Peak, and in Washington Pass. Unfortunately at this time the Cascade River road to which access Boston Basin and Forbidden Peak is still closed.
Tahoma
On Mt Rainier, our team successfully summited on August 28th under clear and sunny skies. The climbing route has not changed much in the past week as we are still climbing the Disappointment Cleaver route. The Muir snowfield still has seasonal snow and is not icy at this time. As climbers approach the Muir Snowfield we are switching from trail shoes to mountain boots once hitting snow. Muir is feeling much quieter with less climbing teams each day – our team yesterday had the whole mountain to themselves! The upper mountain remains the same with a direct route above the cleaver and several adjuncts in place to assist climbers. A double ladder at 13,100 feet is providing an enjoyable climbing experience. Above the ladder, the route involves several switchbacks as it ascends the glacier to the summit rim. The route conditions can change periodically, and we have pre-scheduled route workers on the mountain to make necessary adjustments. With the cooler temperatures we have switched back to using double boots on our Rainier climbs.
Happy climbing!
We provide a weekly conditions report. Stay tuned for more updates!
