June 8, One Day Push, Fuhrer Finger, Mt Rainier
7/15/10
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2395
1
A stiff, but warm wind kept us cool as we skinned up to Glacier vista from Paradise. It was a little after 10 pm and the residual light was just enough to guide us down several hundred feet of great corn and across the Nisqually moraine to the Wilson Glacier. Here we met up with Tom and Curt, two fellow skiers whom we met in the parking lot. They had the same agenda as we did--ski the Fuhrer Finger in a one day push.
We asked them about their plans for roping up and they asked us about how we intended to approach the Finger. Without really discussing it we formed a team and climbed and skied together for the remainder of the trip. In the darkness of the night we missed our turn and ascended the Turtle thinking we could make a high traverse to the base of the Finger. As the morning light finally spread we realized our mistake and it cost us an hour or more to get back to the Finger. We began climbing the Finger at around 4:30 or 5:00 am and experienced minimal rockfall.
We topped out the Finger into the sun and traveled relatively easily on the upper Nisqually. There were many easily crossed or avoided crevasses and we traveled unroped until we reach the saggy bridge at 12600'. We belayed across this bridge but continued on unroped without incident.
Travis and Tom felt the demands of a one day push, altitude and the sweltering sun and stayed behind at about 13000' while Curt and I pushed on to the summit arriving at 1:30 pm.
Skiing was icy sastrugi (but managable) until 13000'. Great corn on the upper Nisqually. It began to thicken at the top of the Finger, but still fun and no significant sluffs. Below the Finger mashed potatoes and large, but slow and manageable sluffs were the norm.
Car to car 19 hours. 3.5 hours from summit to parking lot.
NOTE: The saggy snow bridge that Amar and others have mentioned at 12600' IS GONE. We belayed across it as we skied back down and a piece fell away after each of us skied across. Only a tiny piece remains. Crossing the crevasse will still be possible, but significantly more difficult.
Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/petey5287/MtRainierFuhrerFinger?feat=directlink
We asked them about their plans for roping up and they asked us about how we intended to approach the Finger. Without really discussing it we formed a team and climbed and skied together for the remainder of the trip. In the darkness of the night we missed our turn and ascended the Turtle thinking we could make a high traverse to the base of the Finger. As the morning light finally spread we realized our mistake and it cost us an hour or more to get back to the Finger. We began climbing the Finger at around 4:30 or 5:00 am and experienced minimal rockfall.
We topped out the Finger into the sun and traveled relatively easily on the upper Nisqually. There were many easily crossed or avoided crevasses and we traveled unroped until we reach the saggy bridge at 12600'. We belayed across this bridge but continued on unroped without incident.
Travis and Tom felt the demands of a one day push, altitude and the sweltering sun and stayed behind at about 13000' while Curt and I pushed on to the summit arriving at 1:30 pm.
Skiing was icy sastrugi (but managable) until 13000'. Great corn on the upper Nisqually. It began to thicken at the top of the Finger, but still fun and no significant sluffs. Below the Finger mashed potatoes and large, but slow and manageable sluffs were the norm.
Car to car 19 hours. 3.5 hours from summit to parking lot.
NOTE: The saggy snow bridge that Amar and others have mentioned at 12600' IS GONE. We belayed across it as we skied back down and a piece fell away after each of us skied across. Only a tiny piece remains. Crossing the crevasse will still be possible, but significantly more difficult.
Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/petey5287/MtRainierFuhrerFinger?feat=directlink
Hey, no fair. Tavis and I didn't pass out until 13,600 ft. With the 800 or so vertical going up the Turtle by mistake, I call that a summit. :-) Great skiing with you guys.
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