July 6, 2017, MRNP, Russell Glacier
7/6/17
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4039
7
If you are planning to ski Spray/Russell this weekend, be prepared for long hike. At this point, the snow coverage is about the same as the last year. Russell glacier still has a solid cover but with runnels, Spray Park is very spotty below the cat-eye lake.
Russell coverage:
Good luck connecting dots:
I hiked over knapsack Pass both direction:
Russell coverage:
Good luck connecting dots:
I hiked over knapsack Pass both direction:
Today I was able to ski down to 5800' in Spray park with two ~50' carries and two ~6' grass scoots. The dots connect in the usual places if one tries.
Nice pics, good beta.
On Sat. we got only about half a dozen turns down from Knapsak Pass. Camped.
Be prepared to walk most of the way up to below Feltt Gl, the snow fingers are melting *fast*
Still the Russel and Feltt are in good enough shape (suncups can oft be avoided, not *too* dirty yet) that it is worth the trip in.
On the wk-end we did contend w/ about a mile of cars parked along the road before Mowich Lk.
On Sat. we got only about half a dozen turns down from Knapsak Pass. Camped.
Be prepared to walk most of the way up to below Feltt Gl, the snow fingers are melting *fast*
Still the Russel and Feltt are in good enough shape (suncups can oft be avoided, not *too* dirty yet) that it is worth the trip in.
On the wk-end we did contend w/ about a mile of cars parked along the road before Mowich Lk.
Thanks for the info and photos!
Any chance you have more detailed/zoomed in photos of the mowich face or the edmunds glacier->headwall?
Any chance you have more detailed/zoomed in photos of the mowich face or the edmunds glacier->headwall?
author=El Destructor link=topic=38725.msg156755#msg156755 date=1499720548">
...more detailed/zoomed in photos of the mowich face or the edmunds glacier->headwall?
Maybe these?
You can browse here.
What you cannot see in these photos is the (apparently) wall-to-wall bergschrund below the Edmunds headwall nor the full extent of the one on Central Mowich.
those are great, thank you much!
author=kamtron link=topic=38725.msg156757#msg156757 date=1499727937]
What you cannot see in these photos is the (apparently) wall-to-wall bergschrund below the Edmunds headwall nor the full extent of the one on Central Mowich.
Routes that depend on seasonal mid-elevation snowpack to cover very difficult features are in dire straits on Rainier. Back in May I couldn't see a way from the top of Gib Rock down into the upper Ingraham basin due to a similar large crevasse that I've never seen that exposed in May.
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