Home > Trip Reports > June 4, 2017, Little Tahoma via Fryingpan/Whitman

June 4, 2017, Little Tahoma via Fryingpan/Whitman

6/4/17
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2600
4
Posted by yuliadub on 6/5/17 7:03am
Started from Fryingpan trailhead around 6 am. Patchy snow right from the start, but didn't start skinning until about a mile in. From there on, snow is  continuous, except for the bridge crossings. Morning was clouded and socked in, leaving us in low spirits, eating lots of snacks/almost taking naps. We ran into a group of climbers who has turned around from Meany crest due to low visibility. To our surprise though clouds lifted and it made for an awesome day! Getting up to Meany Crest was a bit tricky (snow was soupy), but we found a nice bootpack up the steeper part lookers right from Summerland.

The glacier is not broken up at all yet, with a bit of ice fall aftermath under Whitman Crest as you wrap around to the base of Little T. Truly the most heinous side-hill ever along Whitman crest, as we went a bit high, closer to the hiker's track - staying lower would have been a better call for the ankles. 

Since we got up to the base kind of late, we opted to not go for the summit. The snow looked awesome though! Definitely prime conditions on it right now.

Skiing down to Summerland was all time corn! Spring is finally here! Was able to link skiing back about a mile away from the trailhead with some dirt walking in between.

We did have one unfortunate thing happen to us - a pair of shoes left hanging off a branch by the trail-head was missing on our way back. If you hear of anyone who found some blue arcteryx shoes, we want them back!

some photos here.
Those shoes are gone, man.

Actually we discovered that they have been dropped off at the ranger station  ;D

My partner left some glasses in the Longmire bathroom, multiple calls and visits revealed much confusion about the existence and location of lost and found on the part of the park employees. Eventually visiting the office in Ashford, we were asked whether we had filled out a "lost item form" and ran through various bureaucratic hoops before being told they didn't have the glasses. You have been warned!

author=yuliadub link=topic=38596.msg156224#msg156224 date=1496765194]
Actually we discovered that they have been dropped off at the ranger station  ;D


Great news! Hope I can still get out with you guys this spring.

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yuliadub
2017-06-05 14:03:46