July 2, 2011, - Sunrise Serenade
7/2/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1971
6
Tom and Steph atop Sourdough Ridge.
A magnificent day at Sunrise today. Saw lots of friends in the parking lot. We got a leisurely start, leaving the car around 10:30 a.m.
For reasons I can't fully explain, I've never really skied at Sunrise. I think the last time I skied there was in the 1960s with my older brothers. I was just a skinny kid in cut-offs when we hiked out to Burroughs Mountain to yo-yo a snowfield with our downhill skis.
I decided this was the year to correct my sorry record. The snowpack in Yakima Park is continuous and solid. Snowbanks next to the road suggest a depth of about about five feet, but I imagine it's a lot deeper in places. You can ski anywhere. The snow has some runneling and suncupping, but it's just classic summer snow.
Tom and Steph climb with Mt Fremont in the background.
It was the perfect time to take my son up there, and this weekend my wife was available as well. We headed west from Sunrise with a vague idea of skiing on Mt Fremont. When we dropped into Huckleberry Basin we could see that the southeast side of Fremont had a lot of bare talus, so we decided to just hang out in the basin and on Sourdough Ridge. At our ridge-top lunch break we met Wapiti Bob and several of his friends. We chatted about this year's opening of Sunrise but I forgot to thank Bob directly for helping get the Park Service to open the road. So I'll say it here--thanks Bob!
Climbing to the ridge above Huckleberry Basin.
After a couple of runs in the upper basin, we traversed eastward to the basin west of Antler Peak. We skinned up this basin to the ridge line, admiring several nice lines that we'll have to come back to ski some time. Back on the crest, we admired a band of firnspiegel on Mt Rainier. Either the band exists only at a certain elevation or (more likely) it is only reflective when the slope is tilted at just the right angle.
We glided back to the parking lot and ended our ski run by stepping from our skis directly onto the pavement. Can't beat that! For 14-year-old Tom, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly our stop at the Muckleshoot fireworks stand. Visions of pyrotechnic bliss. ;)
Firn mirror on the Emmons Glacier.
Yes a very nice day indeed! Thanks to the sticky snow sweepers who cleaned out Dege before we skied it. I thought it to be fantastic!
It's nice to be able to skin right from the parking area.
Last year and this season the park has had to open Sunrise without facilities and portable johns. Based on the number of visitors (nearly full upper lot) yesterday there is no reason that they should not have it open when the upper lot is clear. Granted the weather was perfect so there were more visitors than a drizzly day. I met visitors from other countries who really enjoyed their visit. I shared that Mt Adams was not Mt Rainier and some history of the area. Besides the awesome skiing, it's fun to share our natural resource with others from diverse places. The park needs to take note and get Sunrise open earlier. We saw a young bear saunter across the road too.
It's nice to be able to skin right from the parking area.
Last year and this season the park has had to open Sunrise without facilities and portable johns. Based on the number of visitors (nearly full upper lot) yesterday there is no reason that they should not have it open when the upper lot is clear. Granted the weather was perfect so there were more visitors than a drizzly day. I met visitors from other countries who really enjoyed their visit. I shared that Mt Adams was not Mt Rainier and some history of the area. Besides the awesome skiing, it's fun to share our natural resource with others from diverse places. The park needs to take note and get Sunrise open earlier. We saw a young bear saunter across the road too.
author=Joedabaker link=topic=21352.msg91369#msg91369 date=1309703746]
Thanks to the sticky snow sweepers who cleaned out Dege before we skied it.
You're welcome! 8)
Such a fine day to be on the Mountain. After a short lunch, just down the aisle from the Skoog family at the Sourdough Ridge Cafe, LR and I decided to extend things over to Third Burroughs. The second shot is heading into the valley (Berkely Park?) paralleling Burroughs Ridge just to north. We ascended the bowl just to right of Second after getting an extra run and avoiding ups and downs of the Ridge.
Encountered some folks heading out to Third after 6pm!
A few tricky connections on the Ridge, and back to the parking lot returning, but Sourdough Ridge should have the goods for quite awhile.
Encountered some folks heading out to Third after 6pm!
A few tricky connections on the Ridge, and back to the parking lot returning, but Sourdough Ridge should have the goods for quite awhile.
Oh BTW....
We did have a great conversation about the Firnspiegel zone on the mountain too. It was quite the interesting sight, thanks for posting the picture!
By the time we hit it small moguls were starting to form on the upper ridge side of the half pipe.
Sorry Lowell to digress on your thread...
Lets not forget...The one of the REAL main concerns the park has for not opening earlier is damage to the area by snow sliders. I know we are mindful here, but positively work with others who are less mindful. If they open it early (most) sliders get their fill early and leave it alone when the supply depletes down.
And if you feel great satisfaction and so compelled to send a letter or email to the park stating how please you are that Sunrise was open WITHOUT FACILITIES. Then I don't have to stand in the parking lot with a petition board. ;)
Mt Rainier Contact Page
We did have a great conversation about the Firnspiegel zone on the mountain too. It was quite the interesting sight, thanks for posting the picture!
author=Scotsman link=topic=21352.msg91375#msg91375 date=1309710570">
You're welcome! 8)
By the time we hit it small moguls were starting to form on the upper ridge side of the half pipe.
Sorry Lowell to digress on your thread...
Lets not forget...The one of the REAL main concerns the park has for not opening earlier is damage to the area by snow sliders. I know we are mindful here, but positively work with others who are less mindful. If they open it early (most) sliders get their fill early and leave it alone when the supply depletes down.
And if you feel great satisfaction and so compelled to send a letter or email to the park stating how please you are that Sunrise was open WITHOUT FACILITIES. Then I don't have to stand in the parking lot with a petition board. ;)
Mt Rainier Contact Page
Thanks Joe.
I understand the Park's concern about resource damage as the snow melts at Sunrise. Right now there's lots of snow, but as it melts (and it will happen soon), skiers and hikers will need to be careful to follow designated routes and avoid damaging the meadows. I'm confident that the TAY community can help spread the word and model good behavior. If you or anybody else has ideas on how we can help and how we can increase Park Service support, I'm eager to hear them.
Sunrise is just as important a public resource as Paradise. It's important for people to be able to visit Sunrise to enjoy their park. Paradise has managed to accommodate year-round visitation for decades and decades. It must be possible for Sunrise to accommodate visitors on a longer season that it has been in recent years. Let's help make that happen.
I understand the Park's concern about resource damage as the snow melts at Sunrise. Right now there's lots of snow, but as it melts (and it will happen soon), skiers and hikers will need to be careful to follow designated routes and avoid damaging the meadows. I'm confident that the TAY community can help spread the word and model good behavior. If you or anybody else has ideas on how we can help and how we can increase Park Service support, I'm eager to hear them.
Sunrise is just as important a public resource as Paradise. It's important for people to be able to visit Sunrise to enjoy their park. Paradise has managed to accommodate year-round visitation for decades and decades. It must be possible for Sunrise to accommodate visitors on a longer season that it has been in recent years. Let's help make that happen.
Lowell, nice seeing you and your lovely family on the ridge yesterday. It's great seeing the passion of backcountry skiing being passed down to the younger generation, your son Tom. I think the park now realizes what we where talking about when we said, "get it open" by the 4th of July weekend. It was great seeing all the people enjoying the snow and the beauty of Sunrise at Mt Rainier Naitonal Park. And yes as the snow melts we must be careful of the resource as we also enjoy the beauty of hiking in the park, the wildflowers and scenic beauty.
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