Home > Trip Reports > June 3-4 Emmons Glacier, Summit/Ski, Mt Rainier

June 3-4 Emmons Glacier, Summit/Ski, Mt Rainier

6/3/16
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
5218
4
Posted by DOD on 6/4/16 3:30pm
Emmons-Winthrop route is currently in good shape.

Did a ski descent of Rainier on 3-4 June and found good snow, warm weather and a relatively straight forward and uncomplicated route. Didn't find anything sketchy on the route despite the broken appearance of the upper mountain this year.

Skinned up the corridor until 11K before switching to boot crampons and joined the zombie army on foot. the  route then takes you over to the upper winthrop and then traversing below the bergshrund to find a bridge that finally brings you out on the saddle between the cap and the summit. crossed 3-4 crevasses on the upper mountain of little concern. skied the whole route back without the need for ropes or belays etc. Not sure how the high freezing levels will alter that this week however..

Usual junk and edge catching rime in various stages of melt off the summit, but then chalky wind buff on the upper winthrop (a nice treat) and some nice corn on the Emmons corridor to finish. A little more cooked as time went by. Cocktails back at camp shurman before breaking camp late in the day and managed to catch some fun re-freeze on the inter glacier on the way out. Lots of people going in for the weekend and looked like Sherman was getting into party mode!

The white river is in great form and some dazzling displays of log mountaineer / ski / climbing were had before we could be succesfully re-united with our vehicles and beer!

on a side note, the views of the city lights of Tacoma from camp shurman at 4am are surreal. it feels like your sleeping out on the wing of an aircraft as it fly's over its destination. Speaking of aircraft, its time for this duck to fly south for the winter. Look forward to skiing with y'all in November- La Nina?

some pictures below, I will try to upload a few more later on.
a few more pictures.

Nice shots. I was in the group of 3 camped next to you. It was such a great day up there. I think all summit parties made it up plus a couple Liberty ridge teams made it up and over, some on skis.

I don't imagine a complete ski will be possible for long if we keep getting weather like this.

nice meeting y'all and sharing some banter!
you guys left right before we busted out the cocktail shaker!!
great week to be hanging out and skiing the North side!!

Nice report, Davey! Looks like it was the perfect summit temps, for volcano summit mullings.

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DOD
2016-06-04 22:30:03