Home > Trip Reports > Apr 28, Rainier- Muir and Nisqually Chute

Apr 28, Rainier- Muir and Nisqually Chute

4/15/12
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3075
5
Posted by Jonathan_S. on 5/1/12 2:55am
Saturday started off with a glorious morning in the aptly named Paradise parking lot, with views like this in store for us the entire day:






We joked about skiing the Nisqually Icefall, as this had been the original goal a few days earlier for a friend (and occasional partner of mine) of one of my partners for the day:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=24568.0
My partner commented that his friend was more confident now in his skiing skills (as should be the case for considering the Nisqually Icefall!) in part b/c he had the same TLT5 + Movement Logic-X combo I was on that day.
And his friend had recently skied with yet another guy on Movement X-Series skis €“ wow, wonder who that other similarly equipped skier was?

So we started off at a leisurely pace, but then at around Pan Pt I saw a skier with my same TLT5 boots, newer version of my Speed bindings, and the narrower/lighter Random-X version of my Movement Logic-X skis.  Turned out Victor was the very same person we had been talking about in the parking lot!
Victor and I zipped ahead a bit to Camp Muir, then I skied down 870' vertical of very nice snow to catch up with my two original partners:






. . . after which we all regrouped at Camp Muir, skied in some very nice conditions on the Muir Snowfield, then headed down to Nisqually Chute:






Snow in the Chute was very heavy - fun, but hard work!
Less arduous once the pitch lessened:






And even further down:





The sticky runout onto the flats before reskinning:






After rejoining the main route below pan face, everyone else wanted to head back down, but Victor and I wanted to keep skinning and skiing.  Victor thought he might want to go all the way back up to Camp Muir, but no way did I have the energy (or water) to skin up to Camp Muir for the third time in the same day (especially after putting in lots of skinning the prior day).
But by then the skintrack was just so well established, and the angle is so nice, and the two of us were just in lock step with each other, so:






Snow was very nice all the way to Pebble Creek, then a mush pan face followed by sticky straightlining to the car.
After lots of driving, unpacking, repacking, and an overnight flight, 11 hours after clicking out of my bindings I was in Boston for a little family get together -- complicated logistics, but it all worked out!
- nice mapwork, and good style on the sticky runout !

Nice report! Hit 10k for the day or just shy of it?

author=bfree32 link=topic=24648.msg104178#msg104178 date=1335910229]
Nice report! Hit 10k for the day or just shy of it?


According to my watch altimeter, a mere 450' shy. 
By that stage though, I was in no mood for mathematical goals . . . although topping out at Camp Muir again in such beautiful weather did keep me heading up long after I'd already had enough work and skiing for the day!

Great meeting you Jonathan, Jeff and Josh!  Merci for letting me tag along.  A beautiful (and hot) day. 
Viva Movement X-series combined with TLT-5 :)


Guess that was the place to be Sat. Great weather! Those of us with late afternoon birthday commitments had to stay local. But a few were wishing they were on Rainier.

Reply to this TR

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apr-28-rainier-muir-and-nisqually-chute
Jonathan_S.
2012-05-01 09:55:50