July 20, 2012, Muir Snowfield ashes to ashes

Fred R and I accompanied Janet Z with her son TJ's ashes, to join friends who were already at Camp Muir with the ashes of friend Chris Madden, for a happy and solemn day on the mountain. Chris was a climber and very active in Mountaineers and Seattle Mountain Rescue. TJ was going to climb Rainier with Jerry Retzlaff and friends on this date, but leukemia took him first. We had a solemn few moments together near Camp Muir. Janet bravely cast some of TJ's ashes to the winds and snow, and I did the same with some of my Dad's.  The climbers summited the next morning leavng Chris and the rest of TJ's at the top. 

We had a very foggy trip up, some clearing at Muir, then a descent in pretty much full-on whiteout, and with rain too from 7200 ft on down, skiing wand to wand to bracket Janet in boots. Nice soft wet corn snow made the 10' visibility boot track crossings surprisingly nice. Much nicer than ski boots on the rock steps and paved trail.  Should have packed the sneakers. Could have skied some more below Pebble Creek, but it is thin and we needed to stick with our brave hiker.

First 2 pix are during brief breaks in the clouds above 9K. Third is a view of Camp Muir and the ant trail coming up the snowfield, from the Lakes Trail at south end of Mazama Ridge, taken with point-and-shoot through binocular.