June 21, 2014, MRNP, Van Trump Glaciers
6/21/14
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3348
1
Headed down with my buddy Frank today to get up on the Van Trump Glaciers and it did not disappoint. Things are in really good shape up there right now.
Patches of snow on the trail to Comet Falls and then more continuous snow once you head up the trail beyond the falls. On the firm morning snow, it wasn't worth transitioning to skis until about 5,400-5,500 ft. Easy boot pack to follow up from the falls to that point. From there, we had skis/split board on the feet all the way until Camp Hazard. Good skinning conditions most of the way. High clouds kept the temps down and prevented deterioration of the snow through the day although it seems pretty firm under the surface layers and I suspect that it is all well consolidated, even under the few inches of new that fell up above 10,000 ft recently.
The ski down was great from the first turns out of Camp Hazard at 11,000 feet all the way down to about 6,500 feet. Smooth surface, no schmoo to be found, even at our relatively late descent time around 3PM. Below 6,500 feet things became pretty grabby until we took the skis off above Comet Falls.
We could see the hordes out on the Muir Snowfield the entire day and we -- and just a few others including TAYer jtmaier -- had this place all to ourselves.
Patches of snow on the trail to Comet Falls and then more continuous snow once you head up the trail beyond the falls. On the firm morning snow, it wasn't worth transitioning to skis until about 5,400-5,500 ft. Easy boot pack to follow up from the falls to that point. From there, we had skis/split board on the feet all the way until Camp Hazard. Good skinning conditions most of the way. High clouds kept the temps down and prevented deterioration of the snow through the day although it seems pretty firm under the surface layers and I suspect that it is all well consolidated, even under the few inches of new that fell up above 10,000 ft recently.
The ski down was great from the first turns out of Camp Hazard at 11,000 feet all the way down to about 6,500 feet. Smooth surface, no schmoo to be found, even at our relatively late descent time around 3PM. Below 6,500 feet things became pretty grabby until we took the skis off above Comet Falls.
We could see the hordes out on the Muir Snowfield the entire day and we -- and just a few others including TAYer jtmaier -- had this place all to ourselves.
Nice running into y'all up there, glad you had a good time. Not a bad way to spend the first day of summer!
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