Home > Trip Reports > July 1, 2006, Fuhrer Finger, Mount Rainier

July 1, 2006, Fuhrer Finger, Mount Rainier

7/1/06
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
5456
12
Posted by Oyvind_Henningsen on 7/2/06 1:48am
Monika and I got a 8 pm start from Paradise on Friday.  Wanted to cross the Nisqually in daylight.  Turned out the crossing and the access to the Wilson was straight forward and could be done in the dark if needed.  Hit the camp at 9,200 (?) around 11:30 and was able to wake up Greg, Paul, Michael, and Corinne who was also up there for Finger.  Got a few hours of sleep before getting going at 5 am.  Traverse to the Finger and the Finger itself in decent shape, no rockfall experienced going up.  Feeling the altitude at bit higher up, but on top a little after ten.  Relaxed out of the wind in the crater till a little after noon.  Ski down was hard for the first 750 vf or so, then softened up for good corn till the entrance to the finger.  Quite a few rocks in the Finger and it is starting to narrow quite a bit.  Good skiing rest of the way below.  Muir snowfield a complete zoo, parking lot had massive amounts of people.  Route, company, weather, all good.
Great to have company on the route even if the 11:18 wake up call was too early, Oyvind, it was a great day of skiing. Really superior corn conditions from about 13,000 to 10,000 ft. Good thing we weren't there when that serac fall came down!

Monika and Oyvind

Paul

Michael

More pictures at: http://www.randosaigai.com/fuhrerfinger.htm


Way to go gang!  Thanks for the link to your photos and story.

Chris O'
Great tour description and photos.  Zap
Looking at your turns and a handful more coming off of the Turtle, I don't think I've ever seen so many fresh tracks on that side of the Nisqually.
Thanks for the great trip report and photos guys.  Really an awesome trip with great companions. Was especially glad to join you for my first ski descent from the summit (a long time goal).   Congrats Greg for your first ascent of Rainier!  You really hit it right with the route, weather, and conditions.  Was especially nice to have such a remote feeling and direct line on this route, and to have the concerns about rock fall and too low of freezing levels turn out for the best.  Oyvind and Monika, it was good to bump into you AGAIN this weekend  ;)


upper left, Greg ascending by serac; lower left, Corinne and Michael ascending above the Finger; upper right, Corrine above seracs;
lower right, Michael cruising on the upper Nisqually Gl

more photos...
The route
Michael skinning up
Sunrise ascent of the Finger
Greg cramponing up
Corinne ascending in morning light
Corinne above seracs
Michael skiing, closeup
Greg cruising
Turn left!


Thanks for the great pictures and reports!

This was a great trip with an awesome group! I was also very happy that Corinne managed to organize a last minute baby sitter and come along. This is a route I had been wanting to do for such a long time now - great to hit it in these perfect conditions.

I was really impressed with the upper section of the route on the upper Nisqually, skiing was just amazing with excellent scenery.

Greg cruising the upper Nisqually:


Corinne climbing in the morning sun
Greg climbing in the morning sun
Group hanging out at the top
Paul making some nice turns...
More of Paul
Greg cruising
Greg
Corinne

More pictures here.

nice work everyone!  the photos are great!  Michael, i thought i heard you yodel from Mt. Adams.

Everything turned out much smoother and easier than I ever expected 8)--would have taken heavier skis.
My many thanks to you all for a terrific trip.  And yes Paul, again nice to run into you.   

I'm sorry about waking you all up !! 
Your group sure has the photographers.  Here's one of Oyvind with Adams and Helens.
Nice jobs, guys.  8)

What a nice route.
author=kam link=topic=5044.msg21262#msg21262 date=1151952265]
Michael, i thought i heard you yodel from Mt. Adams.


Yes - that is what I hoped when I Yodeled my lungs out ;-) Though with the altitude it didn;t always come out very well and folks thought I sounded like a wounded animal.

Monika: great to see you on this tour - no worries about waking us up...I think we prevented you guys from sleeping just as much when we left camp...
author=Michael link=topic=5044.msg21320#msg21320 date=1152155238]
no worries about waking us up...I think we prevented you guys from sleeping just as much when we left camp...


actually that's when monika started to sleep after borrowing my sleeping bag...I think she was very glad to see us get up and go.  In addition to heavier skis, maybe bringing a light down bag would be a good idea  :)
author=Paul_Russell link=topic=5044.msg21325#msg21325 date=1152195005]
actually that's when monika started to sleep after borrowing my sleeping bag...


     thought this could be a new technique--show up late, then crawl into some friendly person's sleeping bag after they leave super early ;). 

But kind of unfortunately I slept so well in your bivy/sleeping bag, that oyvind and I started too late and couldn't quite make up the couple of hours to be able to join your group and climb together.  at least we joined you at the summit--thanks



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2006-07-02 08:48:12
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