June 27, 2009, Rainier DC, 28 Tatoosh

Shred and I headed up the DC at 1 a.m. Sat. morn. Conditions were as good as could be expected, but the route above the Cleaver is a skier's nightmare of long up and down traverses. It was windy and cold on top, so the snow was icy, but started to improved a thousand feet down and was great corn on the Cleaver itself (we hit it around 1:30 or 2). Skiing down from Muir is getting lumpy, and was a bit grabby. We dropped into the Nisqually Chute, which was good esp. in the areas smoothed off by previous skiers.

Jeff skis The Cleaver

It was a good day in the mountains, but lot of work for short sections of good skiing (not sure I'd recommend it).

We spent the next afternoon in The Tatoosh, making one run down from the Pinnacle Castle Saddle, and another from the ridge east of Castle. Snow was good corn in the upper bowls, a bit lumpy down below, but all good fun on a beautiful summer afternoon.


At Jeff's insistence we made it to the Olive Garden by the Puyallup Mall (turn L on the st. just before the mall to find it on the west side). Great meal with lots of salad.

TR with more pictures.