Ever since I moved to the Northwest and started climbing, I've wanted to climb Mt. Rainier. It is a quintessential mountaineering peak and the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48. This would also be the first mountain I would attempt that required many of the skills I've learned and practiced over the last couple of years, including glacier travel and crevasse rescue (though I would hopefully not have to use that skill).
From the initial planning stage of the climb, it had been coined the "Dream Weekend". We'd picked a time of year that was very likely to have good weather and that the Disappointment Cleaver route, that we were taking, would be in great shape. We had three members on our team, the ideal number for rope team travel in crevasse territory: Peter, our leader had been up the mountain a half-dozen times, Greg, one of the Santiam Alpine Club leaders is a strong climber, though he'd never been up Rainier, and myself.
We also had a plan that would ensure our Dream Weekend would be a good climb. We all took Friday off of work and drove up to the trailhead/Climbing Information Center in Paradise (aptly named) on Thursday evening. We spent the night in the parking lot at 5,400 ft. partly to acclimate and partly to help us get an early start on the mountain in the morning. I rolled out my sleeping pad and bag, stuffed them in my bivy sack and slept quite comfortably on the asphalt.
Our morning view of the mountain from the parking lot.
We woke up around 5 am to have breakfast, pack, and pick up our backcountry camping permits. By 7.30, we were on our way up the mountain. We were on snow from the first step out of the parking lot, which is great, because it's much easier to walk on than the paved or gravel trail we would have otherwise been on. The weather and snow conditions were perfect. It was cool and sunny and the snow was firm, but not icy, allowing for good traction in our mountaineering boots.
Here's Peter leading the way shortly after leaving Paradise.
On the first day, we climbed from the Paradise parking lot at 5,400 ft to Camp Muir at 10,080 ft. We reached camp around 12.30 pm and spent the remainder of the day enjoying the gorgeous weather, napping, and eating.
The larger stone structure is the Muir hut.
Solar toilettes may not smell great, but they are a luxury at 10,000 feet.
After talking with the climbing ranger on Friday evening, we'd decided to start our summit attempt at 2:30 am Saturday morning, after all of the other guided and private groups started (typically12 - 1:30 am). We hoped this would allow plenty of time so that we wouldn't get stuck at the bottleneck spots behind any of the other groups.
That night, Peter and I slept in the Muir hut, a public first-come, first-serve shelter while Greg slept in his tent.
When we woke up at 1.30, we could see a trail of headlamps from the mass of other climbers already slowed down at the first bottleneck, Cathedral Gap.
We ate breakfast, got dressed, and were roped up and on our way up the mountain by 2.30 am. The temperature was below freezing, but the night felt warm and we each soon shed layers to keep from sweating.
Making our way through Cathedral Gap, we passed two separate guides leading down clients that had to turn around. We kept a steady pace, making good time and not taking our first break until we made it to the top of the Disappointment Cleaver, about three hours after we'd left camp. We watched the sun rise as we made our way around the nose of the Cleaver.
We'd made it through the two rocky, bottle-neck sections of the route, and had another 2,000 vertical feet to climb. The rest of the route traversed up a large glacier, winding around large crevasses and going straight over the smaller ones, which we could step over.
Four miles, 4,300 vertical feet, and seven hours after we'd left Camp Muir, we reached the summit.
And the weather couldn't have been any better.
We spent a few minutes relaxing on the summit, but because of our late start couldn't spend too much time up high. We still had to get down through the the Cleaver and Cathedral Gap before the heat of the sun released the rock and ice that was precariously frozen above the route.
Though we were moving quickly, the descent was particularly enjoyable because we could finally see the beauty of the mountain that we'd missed during our ascent in the dark.
Little Tahoma Peak.
Cathedral Rock in the background, Igraham glacier in front, with some massive crevasses the route winds around.
We made it safely back to Camp Muir shortly after noon and spent the next several hours resting and eating. Though our original plan was to spend one more night at Muir, we decided to take advantage of the soft snow and descend all the way to the parking lot Saturday Evening.
Small mountain range just south of Rainier posing for a picture on our descent.
Our total climbing time for the trip was 16 hours, covering 14 miles, and gaining and losing 9,500 feet of elevation.
Peter's plan for the Dream Weekend unfurled to a "T". We had perfect weather, perfect route/snow conditions, and all of us were in good health and fit for the climb. It will be very hard to beat my first trip up Rainier.
I took over 300 pictures. The best of them are on my flickr page.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Mt. Hood - Pearly Gates
To condition for Mt. Rainier, I'd been going to the gym and doing the stair-master for 2 hours at a time with a 50 lb pack and my mountaineering boots on. To get in one real conditioning climb, I decided to solo Mt. Hood via the Pearly Gates the weekend before we left for Rainier.
The Pearly Gates route shares its approach with the Old Chute route, which I've already climbed three times. For the last 500 or so vertical feet, where the climbing becomes technical, the Pearly Gates route goes more directly to the summit, where the Old Chutes skirt to the far left of a series of gullies. I hadn't attempted the Pearly Gates yet because it has a reputation for being "steppy", having sections of steep ice to climb.
On this particular Saturday, the route was in great condition. I left the parking lot just before 2 AM, following a great boot pack all the way up the the Hoogsback. I made good time, stopping only for a couple minutes at a time to eat, drink, and pee.
When I reached the spine of the Hogsback just after 5 AM, the hordes of climbers were all heading left toward the Old Chutes. I was the sole climber that ventured off toward the right and the Pearly Gates. I had to cross the bergschrund, which was really opening up, via a snow bridge. The snow bridge was still solid, especially with the cold morning temps, but would probably be melted out within the next couple of weeks, requiring a large detour to reach the Pearly Gates.
View from just above the bergschrund after crossing it.
To go along with the good conditions of the rest of the climb, the Pearly Gates were in pretty good shape, too. There was only one short, ~25 foot section of hard ice, and it was never steeper than about 45° or so.
Entering the Pearly Gates, the small slot in the middle of the picture.
Climbing up.
By 6 AM, I was standing on the summit, just four hours after I'd left the parking lot. The weather on the summit was prefect; clear skies with no wind. I spent an hour-and-a-half relaxing on the summit and talking with other climbers.
Instead of returning the way I'd come up, I opted to descend via the Old Chutes. The infamous catwalk was narrower and sharper than I'd ever seen it. Normally, it favors one side of the ridge, leaving at least a small amount of snow uphill of you for ice axe placements. Today, however, it was truly knife-edged, with shear drops on either side and barely wide enough for two mountaineering boots. I moved very slowly and deliberately, planting my axe as solidly as possible before each step.
The rest of the descent was uneventful, and I made it back to the parking lot by 10 AM, eight hours round trip, including a nice ling break on the summit, my best climb on Hood yet.
View from the Devil's Kitchen on my way down.
The Pearly Gates route shares its approach with the Old Chute route, which I've already climbed three times. For the last 500 or so vertical feet, where the climbing becomes technical, the Pearly Gates route goes more directly to the summit, where the Old Chutes skirt to the far left of a series of gullies. I hadn't attempted the Pearly Gates yet because it has a reputation for being "steppy", having sections of steep ice to climb.
On this particular Saturday, the route was in great condition. I left the parking lot just before 2 AM, following a great boot pack all the way up the the Hoogsback. I made good time, stopping only for a couple minutes at a time to eat, drink, and pee.
When I reached the spine of the Hogsback just after 5 AM, the hordes of climbers were all heading left toward the Old Chutes. I was the sole climber that ventured off toward the right and the Pearly Gates. I had to cross the bergschrund, which was really opening up, via a snow bridge. The snow bridge was still solid, especially with the cold morning temps, but would probably be melted out within the next couple of weeks, requiring a large detour to reach the Pearly Gates.
View from just above the bergschrund after crossing it.
To go along with the good conditions of the rest of the climb, the Pearly Gates were in pretty good shape, too. There was only one short, ~25 foot section of hard ice, and it was never steeper than about 45° or so.
Entering the Pearly Gates, the small slot in the middle of the picture.
Climbing up.
By 6 AM, I was standing on the summit, just four hours after I'd left the parking lot. The weather on the summit was prefect; clear skies with no wind. I spent an hour-and-a-half relaxing on the summit and talking with other climbers.
Instead of returning the way I'd come up, I opted to descend via the Old Chutes. The infamous catwalk was narrower and sharper than I'd ever seen it. Normally, it favors one side of the ridge, leaving at least a small amount of snow uphill of you for ice axe placements. Today, however, it was truly knife-edged, with shear drops on either side and barely wide enough for two mountaineering boots. I moved very slowly and deliberately, planting my axe as solidly as possible before each step.
The rest of the descent was uneventful, and I made it back to the parking lot by 10 AM, eight hours round trip, including a nice ling break on the summit, my best climb on Hood yet.
View from the Devil's Kitchen on my way down.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Mt. St. Helens
Since moving to Portland, I've been told by many people the Mt. St. Helens is a "must climb". I've also been told that while beautiful, it's a pain to climb in the summer when the snow is melted out and much of the climb is on loose scree and volcanic ash. Because of that, I've opted not to climb it during the summer and wait until I had the necessary skills to skin up and snowboard down.
I missed the weather/conditions window last spring, so this spring, it was on the top of my list. Matt Kramer, another member of my climbing club, and I set out on a gorgeous Saturday morning. We started on a dirt trail, splitboards strapped to our packs, but quickly hit snow and were able to convert to ski/skin mode to make our traveling easier. We were both skinning n00bs, but by the time we reached the top of the caldera, I was nearly a pro. We'd asked some more experienced skinners for some tips and found out that with a few key skills we were missing, skinning became much easier.
In the gorgeous weather, we spent an hour or so relaxing on the crater rim. I didn't technically make the summit because the true summit was heavily corniced and not worth the risk of plummeting to my death.
I'm now convinced that skinning up and ridding down is the best way to tackle snowy mountains.
The rest of the pictures from the trip are on flickr.
I missed the weather/conditions window last spring, so this spring, it was on the top of my list. Matt Kramer, another member of my climbing club, and I set out on a gorgeous Saturday morning. We started on a dirt trail, splitboards strapped to our packs, but quickly hit snow and were able to convert to ski/skin mode to make our traveling easier. We were both skinning n00bs, but by the time we reached the top of the caldera, I was nearly a pro. We'd asked some more experienced skinners for some tips and found out that with a few key skills we were missing, skinning became much easier.
In the gorgeous weather, we spent an hour or so relaxing on the crater rim. I didn't technically make the summit because the true summit was heavily corniced and not worth the risk of plummeting to my death.
I'm now convinced that skinning up and ridding down is the best way to tackle snowy mountains.
The rest of the pictures from the trip are on flickr.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Mt. Hood Old Chutes III
The first few weeks of good weather in a Pacific Northwest spring marks the beginning of alpine climbing season. Near the end of March, I went up Mt. Hood with three other climbers from my climbing club. Little did I know it, but this climb would be the seedling for bigger future climbs. Two of the climbers, Adrian and Peter were training for a Denali expedition in June. The third, Noel, is a newer climber, looking to get into bigger routes.
We climbed the on the South side of Mt. Hood, opting for the Old Chute route, the same one I'd already climbed twice. It was cold, but we had good weather and good snow conditions, so the climb went well. Since it was my first climb of the season, I had a little bit of trouble with the altitude around the Devil's Kitchen and Hogsback, just generally feeling "off". By the time we got to the summit, though, I was feeling well again.
Heading up toward the Old Chute.
Noel, Adrian, and Me just before reaching the summit (in the background).
Left to right: Peter, Adrian, Noel descending the Old Chute.
From this climb, I got an invite on the Denali expedition from Peter and Adrian. Though a Denali expedition is on my bucket list, I couldn't work out the 30+ days off of work I would need. Peter also ended up inviting me on a Mt. Rainier climb, another mountain high on my list. Peter is a very experienced alpine mountaineer and has climbed Rainier several times, so he would be an ideal leader for my first climb on Rainier.
We climbed the on the South side of Mt. Hood, opting for the Old Chute route, the same one I'd already climbed twice. It was cold, but we had good weather and good snow conditions, so the climb went well. Since it was my first climb of the season, I had a little bit of trouble with the altitude around the Devil's Kitchen and Hogsback, just generally feeling "off". By the time we got to the summit, though, I was feeling well again.
Heading up toward the Old Chute.
Noel, Adrian, and Me just before reaching the summit (in the background).
Left to right: Peter, Adrian, Noel descending the Old Chute.
From this climb, I got an invite on the Denali expedition from Peter and Adrian. Though a Denali expedition is on my bucket list, I couldn't work out the 30+ days off of work I would need. Peter also ended up inviting me on a Mt. Rainier climb, another mountain high on my list. Peter is a very experienced alpine mountaineer and has climbed Rainier several times, so he would be an ideal leader for my first climb on Rainier.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Winter and Surgery
It's been a while since I posted mostly because I haven't been too active. After the Wolf Rock adventure, winter came to Portland and ended the dry climbing season. Shortly after Wolf Rock, I discovered an umbilical hernia. I kept climbing indoors and playing soccer though. I didn't experience any pain. I just had to push the tissue back in every once in a while
For Christmas, my family went to Colorado to ski/snowboard. We had great conditions (cold and snowy) but unfortunately only got four days on the mountain. The front end of our trip was interrupted when we discovered a bad leak on the inlet of the water heater. We spent the first night and day going to Denver to buy a new water heater, then installing it. In the process, we discovered the old water heater had been hooked up backwards. We now have great hot water at the cabin.
After Colorado, I headed home to KY with my family. It was the first time I'd spent at home in a year. After discovering my hernia, I decided to have surgery while I was at home so that my dad could set it up and I'd have someone to drive me to and from the hospital. December 31st was the only option, so I had surgery on New Years Eve. Everything went very smoothly and I now have sutures holding the small hole behind my belly button closed. The actual surgery only took 20 minutes and I was only in the hospital for a few hours.
The worst part of the surgery was the recovery. I didn't actually have any pain or weakness, but the surgeon ordered me not to do any physical activity for six weeks. He didn't even want me to run. So I went to the gym every day and did the stair master to stay in shape. That and the weather are the primary reasons I haven't been very active lately. I just started climbing and playing indoor soccer again a few weeks ago.
The days are getting longer now and I'm hoping to start getting some climbing in. Maybe some winter climbs or new routes on Hood.
For Christmas, my family went to Colorado to ski/snowboard. We had great conditions (cold and snowy) but unfortunately only got four days on the mountain. The front end of our trip was interrupted when we discovered a bad leak on the inlet of the water heater. We spent the first night and day going to Denver to buy a new water heater, then installing it. In the process, we discovered the old water heater had been hooked up backwards. We now have great hot water at the cabin.
After Colorado, I headed home to KY with my family. It was the first time I'd spent at home in a year. After discovering my hernia, I decided to have surgery while I was at home so that my dad could set it up and I'd have someone to drive me to and from the hospital. December 31st was the only option, so I had surgery on New Years Eve. Everything went very smoothly and I now have sutures holding the small hole behind my belly button closed. The actual surgery only took 20 minutes and I was only in the hospital for a few hours.
The worst part of the surgery was the recovery. I didn't actually have any pain or weakness, but the surgeon ordered me not to do any physical activity for six weeks. He didn't even want me to run. So I went to the gym every day and did the stair master to stay in shape. That and the weather are the primary reasons I haven't been very active lately. I just started climbing and playing indoor soccer again a few weeks ago.
The days are getting longer now and I'm hoping to start getting some climbing in. Maybe some winter climbs or new routes on Hood.
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