Home > Trip Reports > June 1, 2014, MRNP-Sunrise, Look out Fremont!

June 1, 2014, MRNP-Sunrise, Look out Fremont!

6/1/14
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
6339
7
Posted by Kenji on 6/3/14 9:41am
Decades ago I've read a TR on skiing below Fremont lookout, i think it was by Zap.  Ever since, every time I saw the bare, but steep 2000' West slope below the lookout, I hoped to ski it someday.  The TR may have meant the E. slope which holds snow much longer and I've read other people skiing there after the upper gate opens.  But the W. slope is more enticing...

Anyway, Sally and I headed up to Sunrise from the White River camp lot.  Of course all other skiers/climbers were heading Glacier Basin trail. It seems there is less snow than other times up on the Sunrise ridge; even Frozen Lake is no longer "frozen".  The south/west slopes toward the lookout was already pretty much bare and we ended up hiking the last mile on the trail.  The basin East of the lookout is holding deep snow, it's only 1000', but a enjoyable steepish run especially after our long approach.  We then skinned out of the basin S., skied into the next one, skinned up another ridge then down to the lake and out the TH.

A good workout tour w/ a short but nice skiing.  We didn't see a soul all day except a few dots on the Inter Glacier.  Some day I'll time it just right to ski the long West slope.  More pix

Nice kenji!

I have been eyeballing a plan to ski E slope of Fremont for a few seasons, haven't made it so yet.
My plan is to:
-wait for road to sunrise to open (this may doom the plan due to snow melt)
-access E slopes of Fremont where "packtrail" is indicated on USGS TOPOs via "sourdough bowls" or "sunrise chutes" just NW of the visitor center. (may have been your return route?)

Can you make a guess on Fremont E slope snow cover for July 3rd?
This route did hold enough snow in July 2012.



Love that second photo!  How great to have that area to yourself.  I've been there once in the summer and it was not private, but very busy with me and a thousand other curious hikers.

I'm sure there will still be enough snow in the E basin.  However, I'd think the main trail will be the best way to the lookout.  Even now there seems no snow-only approach. 

Very excellent pictures . Great tour and a nice effort to get there!
Kenji, how much Snow was in the sunrise park lot ?
Mt Fremont has also been accessed from the Grand park side via FR 73.
From your pics it still looks like some snow in Grand park for XC skiing if there any XC skiers still active?



We couldn't see the lot from our path.  Yes, I'm thinking about a trip via Grand Park!

Beautiful photos, esp the B&W one.  Makes me want to go there and go into Grand Park again.

Reply to this TR

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june-1-2014-mrnp-sunrise-look-out-fremont
Kenji
2014-06-03 16:41:27