Spring Skiing on Rainier
Posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009
On a sunny Saturday morning several weeks ago, my brother, Jack, our friend, Mike, and myself packed up the car and set off toward Rainier from Seattle. The view of the mountain was irresistible. Excited to get to there and start our climb we may have been going a little faster than was legal. After a short chat with officer Krupke, our perfect day began when we pulled into the parking lot.
I was excited to see Paradise bustling with smiling mountain enthusiasts. The energy was contagious. Every direction I looked there was a group starting out, grabbing a quick caffeine fix or strapping their snowshoes to their packs. Although, I could not help glancing up toward the quiet snowy mountain as I suited up and checked my gear.
We clipped into our AT gear at 9:15 and started toward the ridge. The snow had not yet softened under our skis, allowing for easy navigating and a smooth glide. This was fortunate because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the panoramic view of the Tatoosh Range. It seemed like a rare privilege to be ascending a sun-soaked Rainier mountain wearing a thin top base layer and sunglasses.
It was a quick skin alongside many smiling snowshoers to the base of our first steep pitch. We clicked out and strapped our skis to our packs so that we could ascend a straight line up the slope. The real early birds had already created a series of good foot holds, so it was just a matter of repeatedly placing one foot higher than the other as the sun beat down on our backs.
At the top, we joined a few other parties for a water break and a snack before strapping the skis back on our feet to continue the climb. The weather held for the next hour or so until light cloud cover blocked the sun and a cold east wind abraded the ridge. With added layers, we continued our ascent to Muir. About 45 minutes from the top, we lost Mike to a cramping muscle. However, the trail was populated enough and Mike had enough gear that Jack and I felt okay finishing the climb and catching him on the way down.
That last 45 minutes were grueling. With the wind whipping at our faces, Jack and I slowly but steadily made our way up the rolling incline to Camp Muir. The location provided no shelter from the wind swirling snow into the air, so joining 20-30 other tired and exhilarated climbers in the sleeping hut was a welcome break from the weather. Jack and I scooted our way into a space on the bottom platform in between two groups who had already laid out their sleeping bags. We refueled for our descent with our favorite mountain lunch of pb & j, jelly beans, and trail mix.
It took us a little over four hours to go from Paradise to Muir that day, but it only took about twenty five minutes to get down. At Muir, Jack and I stripped the skins from our skis and clicked in. It was challenging to ignore our burning quads as we tore our way across the wind packed crust near Muir. We ran into Mike where the clouds disappeared and the sun hit the mountain. We took a minute to regroup and snap some images before continuing down the breakable crust. The next section was a balancing act of avoiding rocks as we skied through small moraines and turned over the hard top inch of snow. Nearer to Paradise, the softer snow made for some great turns before we tucked the run-out and were in view of the lodge.
The parking lot was now filled with cars and tourists crowded around to get a look at the mountain. Little children were everywhere with their parents running around after them. The scene was hectic. It seemed a little strange to me after the tranquility of that morning.
We packed the car and sorted gear before leaving Paradise. Once all was in order, we climbed into the car, turned on the ipod, and spent the rest of the ride reliving our day on the mountain. The trip was a success. It was a strenuous, but doable climb; perfect for early season training.
Willamette Pass ski patroller Cait Parker is an Inspired Mountain Ambassador.
