August 15, 2009, Paradise Glacier snowless snout
8/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3202
5
Or alternate title, John Milton via Wayne's World, Paradise .... DENIED!
A little late on this report but hopefully imagery still useful to some.
In effort to avoid tourist hordes on this free entrance weekend day I started from 4th crossing. In dense fog, but with AMAZING flowers to see.
Again in effort to avoid hordes went up the old Ice Caves trail in hopes that I could make the winter/spring method of ascending from the Cowlitz Rock saddle work. Was out of fog and into clear sky around point where trail became 'unofficial'. Tried to contour lookers left, bad plan, would have been faster to stay in drainage.
The bare ice was just slick enough that I wasn't comfortable padding up it in snowboard boots, no crampons, and ended up strapping in a couple times and dropping in order to end run it. Finally looked like could do so by walking on rock far E end but by then I was short of time, needing to be back in town early. Ended up walking up Cowlitz Rock just because never had before.
(Click here for fullsize)
Upper areas of Glacier seem pretty good from that distant view. Plainly is more efficient to drop over McClure under these conditions, horde aversion or no. Via various wanderings might have got 1K from numerous hard to link patches. But like I said before Good God, man, the FLOWERS!
Hordes had invaded the Skyline Trail and Fourth Crossing and then some by the time I hiked back down. Then was treated to some special traffic on way home courtesy of all day construction blockage on 405 and accidentapalooza on basically every connecter or alternative to it. Whee!
Time for more flowers to dull the pain of that ...
A little late on this report but hopefully imagery still useful to some.
In effort to avoid tourist hordes on this free entrance weekend day I started from 4th crossing. In dense fog, but with AMAZING flowers to see.
Again in effort to avoid hordes went up the old Ice Caves trail in hopes that I could make the winter/spring method of ascending from the Cowlitz Rock saddle work. Was out of fog and into clear sky around point where trail became 'unofficial'. Tried to contour lookers left, bad plan, would have been faster to stay in drainage.
The bare ice was just slick enough that I wasn't comfortable padding up it in snowboard boots, no crampons, and ended up strapping in a couple times and dropping in order to end run it. Finally looked like could do so by walking on rock far E end but by then I was short of time, needing to be back in town early. Ended up walking up Cowlitz Rock just because never had before.
(Click here for fullsize)
Upper areas of Glacier seem pretty good from that distant view. Plainly is more efficient to drop over McClure under these conditions, horde aversion or no. Via various wanderings might have got 1K from numerous hard to link patches. But like I said before Good God, man, the FLOWERS!
Hordes had invaded the Skyline Trail and Fourth Crossing and then some by the time I hiked back down. Then was treated to some special traffic on way home courtesy of all day construction blockage on 405 and accidentapalooza on basically every connecter or alternative to it. Whee!
Time for more flowers to dull the pain of that ...
Great pictures, Wolfs.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Thanks for the nice views and the TR. I couldn't make the slush cup either and was thinking of this for this coming weekend. May need a plan B.
Great pictures... though that second to last one is an awfully furry flower ;)
I was up there with a group last Saturday. We went up via Pebble Creek and took off across the bottom of of the Muir snowfield. Crossed the ridge below Sugarloaf (?) and on up to the glacier proper. We broke out of the clouds around 6400 ft. Climbed up to around 8200 ft, did some rescue practice right below the big rock lump at that elevation and then skied down. The snow was good (to me at least) until we good down in the low 7000s. We also hit fog down below 7000 ft and had a long foggy scramble down to the Skyline trail. There was one other group we saw come up and ski down while we were working on the rescue stuff. Additionaly, there was a group camped on the glacier.
There were some cracks clearly open and some that were working on opening. This was my first glacier ski and crevasse climb out so I followed the rest of the group. I had a pretty good time. Sorry, no pictures, I had everything but a camera in my pack.
There were some cracks clearly open and some that were working on opening. This was my first glacier ski and crevasse climb out so I followed the rest of the group. I had a pretty good time. Sorry, no pictures, I had everything but a camera in my pack.
- what a great Marmot shot. Looks as though he's been at that rock before ! I guess they like the sun as well as the overcast. I skiied a bunch at Lassen. They lick the asphalt for dumped out sodas or whatnot.
I actually had one lick the sweat by my ankle ! on Mt Dana, 13,000 ft (Tioga Pass, Tuolomne) about 5 years back. Thanks for the pic
I actually had one lick the sweat by my ankle ! on Mt Dana, 13,000 ft (Tioga Pass, Tuolomne) about 5 years back. Thanks for the pic
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