Home > Trip Reports > October 25, 2011, Muir Snowfield + Paradise Glac

October 25, 2011, Muir Snowfield + Paradise Glac

10/25/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
5739
13
Posted by silaswild on 10/25/11 1:29pm
What a difference a day makes!   Carl and Tara found icy conditions yesterday, fortunately we decided to head up today anyway and found 2-3" powder had fallen overnight making for a perfect winter day above 7000' in cold bluebird nearly windless weather.   At Nisqually Entrance we were surprised by the ranger's advice to "drive up in a hurry" to beat a 930AM to 1230PM road closure for some sort of maintenance.   I've had rangers ask me to slow down, but never hurry up! :)   Lunching at Muir we enjoyed a Chinook helicopter flyby, training perhaps, or looking for someone?

The skiing was slightly challenging for the first 500', Muir Snowfield's windiest slopes; then below Anvil Rock it was heroic soft powder to 7300' where we started back up.   At 8800' we crossed over to the Paradise Glacier and gained another couple hundred feet where we found totally untracked soft powder, perfect for the first 1000', then a bit windblown on the final steep slope to the end of the glacier.   More soft powder skied fast to the end of old snow at 6200' or so.   We walked out through Edith Basin to Paradise, since the road down past Fourth crossing was closed, maybe for the season?

Muir Snowfield: http://vimeo.com/31176055  Paradise Glacier: http://vimeo.com/31175843

We saw 20 or so other skiers, several were TAY enthusiasts.  Should we be checking some NPS website to stay aware of road closures?   We were lucky to miss the closure today, but how to be better prepared in the future?
Soon, very soon. Glad your finding the goods.

You could have at least cleaned the snow off the new web-cam so we could have watched you  ;).

author=silaswild link=topic=22066.msg94397#msg94397 date=1319603374]
 Lunching at Muir we enjoyed a Chinook helicopter flyby, training perhaps, or looking for someone?

Should we be checking some NPS website to stay aware of road closures?   We were lucky to miss the closure today, but how to be better prepared in the future?

Just checked with Mt Rainier NP office and learned that "the person who normally posts road closures on our twitter account was unavailable to make an announcement about yesterday's closure.  Don't know about a Chinook flight yesterday."

Hey Silas,
Funny running into you below Anvil yesterday.  We were caught in the 3 hour delay while they used dynamite to blow up some dangerous trees near the road.  It took a couple of bg booms and a whole lot of waiting before we were allowed to head up there.  They don't do logging like they did in the good old days.  Wonder if this was a Saruman vs. Ent thing.

We were POed at our not checking the road reports.  But why don't they schedule that stuff on a rainy day???  Oh well...If I can't ski in the sun, I'd probably be up there waiting to ski in the rain, anyway.  Incidentally, we stopped at Whittaker's to ask about the road closure, and they didn't know anything, but that 5 minute stop caused us to be the first car in the waiting line.  Sigh...

It really was great skiing - I stopped at about 9300 since the new snow was down to about 1" over the ice.  The GS turns down were excellent.  The bottom funnel by Pebble Creek was already sun affected and re-freezing when we exited.  The walk down with the sun setting was absolutely gorgeous!  Back to the car at 7 PM in full dark.  We managed to use up all of the day, in spite of the delay.

60 months for me.  I know I'm small potatoes compared to you and others - but hey... I've always been a slow starter.  Thanks Moscawulf, Gabe and Peter for a great day in the mountains!

Thanks for the detailed report ( as usual!!!).

BTW, do I need a snowpark permit to park at Paradise?

What is the earliest time in the a.m. I can pass through the gate driving up through Longmire?

Is that the same for other entrances (when those roads are open,i.e..)?

Thanks again for great conditions up-date (and the enthusiasm).

I thought I saw that red beanie descending from Muir!  Wish I'd have made it up there a bit faster.  I had a look at the PG from Anvil and was tempted to drop in.  I talked to a skier who was on the way down from the camp; said there was a party-of-five up at Muir contemplating the PG...  Glad to hear you guys got the goods.  Wasn't too bad on the SF either!  October pOw!

author=rlsg
BTW, do I need a snowpark permit to park at Paradise?
You do not need a sno park permit to park at Paradise - you pay through the nose for your daily or annual permit already.  And I mean that in the nicest possible sense of the phrase "through the nose".

What is the earliest time in the a.m. I can pass through the gate driving up through Longmire?
Is that the same for other entrances (when those roads are open,i.e..)?
I usually call the Mt Rainier Road Info phone line -  360-569-2211
there may now be a good updated web site, but I don't know it.



Hope that helps! Ski yah later.


author=silaswild link=topic=22066.msg94397#msg94397 date=1319603374]
Should we be checking some NPS website to stay aware of road closures?   We were lucky to miss the closure today, but how to be better prepared in the future?


FWIW, Tuesday's closure was announced the day before on the TNT's 'Adventure Guys' blog:
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2011/10/24/nisqually-road-at-mount-rainier-to-be-closed-for-a-time-on-tuesday/

The park has a 'Road Status' web page that was started and used intermittently during the latest bogus extended closure for the Glacier Hill slide a couple years ago, but since then it has rarely been updated on a daily basis:  http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm

The phone message is vastly better than years ago, when days would pass between updates and the day of the recording was often not even noted.  The recording is not 100% reliable yet, tho; it's not unusual for an opening time to be announced, but for the Paradise road not to open.  On the other hand, there is usually a day or three each winter when the phone message (and even the entrance station) are saying closed today, but the Longmire gate actually opens, what my buddy Winter Raven calls a 'stealth opening'...  The phone message is seldom revised later each day, even after the opening decision has changed.

For rlsg, the Longmire gate is not locked at night when the Paradise Inn is open (usually late May until early October).  Otherwise, regardless of new snow or not, it does not reopen each morning until the LE ranger comes on duty, usually no earlier than 7 or 8, sometimes later.  Currently, it seems to take at least one hour past 8 for every 3" new snow at Paradise.  Back in the 70's & 80's, it took about one hour past 8 for every six inches new, despite more snow then, fewer employees and beater, surplus equipment...

Silas's report on the missing NPS twitter poster definitely sets off my BS alarm; like there's only one person who can do that?  Most larger parks like Rainier have an employee dedicated full-time to public relations. The largest parks have several employees assigned to this task.  Looks to me like the PR went to TNT and that was the extent of the publicity.  Typical NPS laziness in my opinion.   

Thanks for the beta for opening of winter gate..sounds like around brunch time could be opening time--that could be nice for sleeping in a little bit ::)

great trip report Silas!
cool videos!
also some piccys from the last 2 weeks if anyone is interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46067654@N00/

Thanks Moscawulf, Gabe and Peter for a great day in the mountains!


Yes a fun day indeed as the irritation of waiting on pavement gave us quite the glow at sunset skiing down.  Thanks again for the ride home!

Thanks for the fun day Silas!
After Monday's foggy ice skating we were tempted to stay home.
Glad we didn't ;D

Some pics from the day...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.310131822337430.96676.100000218445455&type=1&l=046a8b022e

And some video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCTltVU1nnY

author=Rusty Knees link=topic=22066.msg94420#msg94420 date=1319657720]
The walk down with the sun setting was absolutely gorgeous!  Back to the car at 7 PM in full dark. 


AMAZING SUNSET on the way out!!!
this is my first try posting pics......

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october-25-2011-muir-snowfield-paradise-glac
silaswild
2011-10-25 20:29:34