December 8, 2013, Mt. Rainier to Pan Point

Cruised up to 'the mountain' to do a camp muire run that was cut short when a panicked snowshoer asked me to help him find a guy that had tried to go from the stone hut toilet thing and hike around the front of the point. Apparently he slipped, slid down the hill, across the 50 plus foot flat around Pebble Creek then took a substantial unplanned free flight over the summer switchback trail. The snowshoer thought the guy fell 50+ feet. When I got near him two hikers were there and reported a substantial gash over the eye and pretty dang sore back. From the impact crater I was surprised that was all. There were two nurses in a party heading his way so I skiid down to the ranger station to report it and help them with locating the guy since it was later in the afternoon.

I did, however, skin up to about 6,800 feet, right above the pan face. Conditions were all over the map. The lower section right above the vistors center was great with dry, fluffy and bouncy fun powder. The middle section was a wind scoured crust with occasional sheets of sheer ice. Pan face was a mix of wind crust on powder (skiier left), sheets of crazzy bubbly ice stuff (skiiers right) and some hard crud (middle). Above pan face was as far as I got before I ran into aformentioned panicked showshoer.

All in all a short day. Felt good to help out but still wondered why the snowshoer left the obvious boot track to take off on his 'adventure' on crazy windblown nuttiness. The 'I don't needs no stinkin' ice axe' might have contributed as well.

Anywho, week of substantial snow coming up!