7-17-17 Emmons Crevasse Fatality

More bad news; seems like an unusually dangerous year:
www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2017/07/sk...ainier-national-park
TNT has the ID as Michael Naiman, 42, of Seattle  RIP

Damn. Vibes to fam & friends.

I was shocked when I just heard this terrible news. Michael was a TAY member (Michael98) who I just met and skied with recently on Baker . He was a great guy that I felt an instant kinship with - full of energy, enthusiasm, and good vibes. We exchanged info and I looked forward to skiing with him again in the future. He also struck me as a smart, educated, solid skier, cautious about glaciers (roped up on the Squak unlike myself). It can happen to the best of us. RIP brother.

unusually dangerous year

My theory is that the oddly consistent cold start to our snowpack (nov->dec) created a weak lower layer. That weak lower layer is what we are getting to now. It was great to play in but didn't fill the nooks and crannies of the base out like we're used to.

I remember being surprised dropping into 100" base lines that usually ride clean. This year that cold snow failed to cover the rocks and there were plenty of December moments standing on rock, looking down rocks, wondering why I'm in this cliff line so soon.

Michael was good friends with several of my fellow Sonographers who knew him from Seattle University.

www.kiro7.com/news/local/for-climber-who...-his-dream/564617989

They tell me he was a fantastic person in all respects.

NPS rangers are asking Rainier summit skiers to wait till next year:
mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/2017/0...-ski-conditions.html