April 22, 2004, Mt Rainier, Muir Snowfield
4/22/04
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2008
0
Muir again? Well, it was a nice day and I needed some exercise. I was thinking about skiing Nisqually Chute down to the bridge, but figured that the new snow would make that somewhat risky. Snow coverage is patchy at the Nisqually bridge (4000 ft), but continuous snow still reaches down to about 4500 ft. I got a late start, leaving Paradise at 10:30am. About 3-4" of yesterday's new snow covered most tracks and gave everything a wintry feel (officially 5.5" inches were recorded, bringing the season total to 636"). Skinning conditions were quite good, and it was easy to skin up Pan Face even though all skiers earlier in the day had switched to hiking. Surprisingly, despite my late start, I passed those earlier skiers near 8000 ft and broke trail the rest of the way to Muir, generally through 3-6" of wind-packed snow, with lots of drifts to 12"+ deep above 9000 ft. Reached Muir at 1:50pm to find only a party of snowshoers but no other skiers or boarders. I would get first tracks on the Muir Snowfield for the first time ever!
Camp Muir was quite warm with no wind, the freezing level must have been closer to 10000 ft than the forecast of 7500 ft. Skied down at 2:30pm, just after numerous other skiers and boarders began to finally arrive. Doesn't anybody who skips work to go skiing wake up early? Anyway, snow conditions were fair not great, mostly smooth dense powder, with minimal sastrugi and not sun-affected at all above 9000 ft, but requiring some concentration to avoid mishap. Certainly would be better on a snowboard than skis. A thin sun-warmed surface layer was evident from 9000 ft down to 7000 ft, and below 7000 ft everything was dense unconsolidated mush. Lots of point releases and wet sluffs on most steep SE, S, and SW aspects below 8000 ft, especially on Pan Face, Nisqually Chute, etc. Otherwise, snow stability appeared OK, and I set off no sluffs while ski cutting the steep SW slope near Pan Point above Glacier Vista. Overall, the new snow really needs a couple more days of sun to consolidate and form some nice corn.
Amar Andalkar
click here for a double-size version of this photo.
Camp Muir was quite warm with no wind, the freezing level must have been closer to 10000 ft than the forecast of 7500 ft. Skied down at 2:30pm, just after numerous other skiers and boarders began to finally arrive. Doesn't anybody who skips work to go skiing wake up early? Anyway, snow conditions were fair not great, mostly smooth dense powder, with minimal sastrugi and not sun-affected at all above 9000 ft, but requiring some concentration to avoid mishap. Certainly would be better on a snowboard than skis. A thin sun-warmed surface layer was evident from 9000 ft down to 7000 ft, and below 7000 ft everything was dense unconsolidated mush. Lots of point releases and wet sluffs on most steep SE, S, and SW aspects below 8000 ft, especially on Pan Face, Nisqually Chute, etc. Otherwise, snow stability appeared OK, and I set off no sluffs while ski cutting the steep SW slope near Pan Point above Glacier Vista. Overall, the new snow really needs a couple more days of sun to consolidate and form some nice corn.
Amar Andalkar
click here for a double-size version of this photo.
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