May 6-7, Beehive, Upper Cowlitz, Muir MRNP
5/15/07
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1165
0
Made the slog up the snowfield Sun. afternoon. Started out at Paradise in rain and minimal vis. Broke through to intermittent clouds around 8k and then blustery sun and bluebird around 9k. Spent the night in the shelter. Pretty windy out, but clear and stars fantastique. Woke up to warm temps and perfect weather. Headed up the cleaver above the camp and up to the ridge. Decided to go around the backside of ridge to avoid some rock/snow/icefall and ended up in a tight spot. Continued and belayed a steep and exposed section of snow smeared rock and then up a snow flute to regain the ridge. A round about way to Gib ledges. Encountered another exposed section of rock on ridgecrest coming to an end at a 30 foot drop to the glacier. Rappeled this and skiied the majority of the beehive down the upper cowlitz to 9500 feet above a substantil icefall/crevasse system. Skinned back to Muir for the pack-up process which always takes me a long time. Heavy pack on for the descent down the snowfield. Conditions varied from windblown crust around 11,000 to suncooked, to mush to corn. Snowfield conditions were hard and crusted on top, smooth butter then mush, then as one of my partners called it, dogcrap, and the other, slush surfing to the car. Beautiful weather and climbing. Glad Rainier is open....
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