Home > Trip Reports > 13-15 August 2016, Mt. Rainier via Emmons-Winthrop

13-15 August 2016, Mt. Rainier via Emmons-Winthrop

8/13/16
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
6687
5
Posted by runningclouds on 8/19/16 7:18am
While the route is skiable, the skiing was not enjoyable. The traverse from Liberty col to the top of Alpine Meadows was on good smooth snow, thereafter the snow disintegrated into slotted hell (penitentes). While the warm temperature softened the snow it was also interspersed with fist sized ice chunks. The best skiing was from the top of the Corridor, provided one could find relatively smooth surface, there was not a lot of it and it was on the sides close to some deep and wide crevasses. The middle of the Corridor around the bootpack is a variable sized bump and waves inferno.

Crossings are in excellent shape and while the route is not straight up it is easily hiked all the way to the summit. The hardest crossings are below Camp Schurman: the bridges are soft, especially in the afternoon, and thinning fast and the route changed quite a bit in the 48 hours between our crossings.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/albums/72157672455786456
Sorry to hear the skiing was suboptimal rc. Your report makes me even more thankful for my perfect three day trip last month!  Thanks again Amar.

Yep, timing is everything! Glad to know you had great conditions, Silas. After reading your report I was hoping the smooth snow would last but the sublimation was faster than us. Next time!

Awesome! Nice work guys, we were the group of 3 split boarders camped right above you. I found us in the pic with the blue mountain hardware tent haha. Nice running into you guys and glad you got a beautiful day on the mountain the next day! Those sun cups from ~11k down made for a wild ride with the weight on the back, huh?

Hey Snomad, nice to meet you guys. I added two pictures of you and your friend boarding down those "fun" waves on the Corridor. Have fun with the rest of the summer.

Nice to meet you guys Snomad. I was definitely not expecting to see any other splitters up there, let alone 3!

In addition to the subpar snow, my descent from the summit was particularly crappy due to my G3 skins leaving glue all over my base. Trying to maintain speed to traverse around giant crevasses with a sticky base that kept slowing me down made for an interesting ride! All worth it for the views that day though. Pretty cool to turn one way and see St. Helens and turn the other way and see Baker.

My pics: https://flic.kr/s/aHskFfcG1E

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2016-08-19 14:18:23