In 2009 then I lived in Victoria, I found in Seattle my old friend, and we decided to celebrate reunion by climbing Mt Rainier, the highest mountain near by. Rainier is a highest volcano in Washington state, 4392 meters, covered by thick glacier. We choose north rout via Schurman Camp on Emmons Glacier. The nice weather was promised, so on Friday I leaved Victoria and drove to Seattle.
We started from Seattle at 7 am Saturday. Driving takes about 2 hours, park entrance costs 15 backs, permission for climbing costs another 49 backs (but for this money you can climb every day during the calendar year). You also should register party and take blue bags (all solid human waists are not allowed on the glacier). After all these preparation we parked car on the White River campground and started our hike at 11 am.
Trail is good and not too steep, about 3.5 miles. Only just before our trip, the huge rockfall covered significant part of the trail, so instead of hiking on nice trail we jumped on rocks and logs.
There were nice mushrooms near the trail.
There is Glacier Basin Camp on the forest board below the moraine of Inter Glacier. Normally you can see the glacier from he camp. We did not. Glacier disappeared.
View around:
Ranger said that Inter Glacier is in bad conditions, but we didn’t anticipate that the glacier was not present at all. Well, then we came to moraine, we fount the the glacier still exists, but significantly decreased in size. It’ lower part was melted away possibly because of hot summer after low-snow winter.
View from moraine:
The glacier conditions were really bad. Normally it is covered by snow, but at that time it was pure black ice covered but thin layer of water and rocks of different size.
As it was not enough, rocks continued to fell down on the glacier and on our heads also. All crevasses were open that made our way pretty wavy.
Finally we came to the rocky ridge that separated Inter Glacier from Emmons Glacier that originated from the summit.
Camp Schurman, place for our night, is on Emmons Galcier, under the Praw, highest peak of the ridge (3000+ meters). Normally people cross the ridge on its low point to Emmons glacier and go up on glacier to the camp. But conditions that changed Inter glacier, also modified Emmons. Its low part was impassable because of numerous crevasses. So we climbed up The Paw and climbed it down to Schurman Camp. 150 meters vertical drop with very unstable rocks. Pretty unpleasant way. All these uncontemplated changes of our rout made our day very long, and to Camp Schurman we came only at 8 pm.
Camp Schurman and The Prow:
We planned started climb to summit at midnight, but because of all unexpected delays we fell to sleep only at 11 pm, so morning was shifted to 4 am. At 5-30 am we were on our way up.
At 7 am red sun arisen.
Up to 3500 meters the ascent was quite easy and even had some traces of early parties. We met party that started at midnight, they said that came up to 3700 meters, but above this altitude is clear ice and a lot of crevasses. They tried pass, but turned back. Above this meeting place all traces disappeared, it was clear that most party turned back at this point.
View from 3500 to Camp Schurman and Emmons Glacier:
To summit:
Emmons Glacier:
Another 200 meter (altitude) we tried to find way among the crevasses on ice. Finally it become too dangerous and we decided to turn back and repeat our attempt next year, but in June or July, when the glacier is covered by snow.
No party was successful this day.
View from 3700 to summit:
and down:
So we descended to camp at 2 pm, packed and wend back.
View to summit from Camp Schurman:
Glacier near camp:
The Prow:
The climbing to scattered The Praw was the first challenge to out way home, second one was descent on Inter Glacier.
On the moraine we met a marmot, and in the forest (in was already dark) whole back of golden frogs and even several tritons cross our way. Only at 9-30 we were near our car and started our drive to hot shower, meal ans Washington wine.
