Climbing rangers patrolled up to Camp Muir this morning to check out the conditions of the mountain and observe the snowpack as the temperatures begin to heat up. A reported 40cms of new snow at 6000ft fell during 05/04-05/06, though totals are much deeper at higher elevations. Doors to the shelters at Muir had to be excavated to access the buildings today. Sustained moderate E winds with strong gusts kept the snowpack firmer than expected on the way up, though was not enough to keep the heat off the snow all day. Ski quality was grabby to say the least... Numerous wet avalanches were observed ..read more

South side photos and Ingraham Direct photos from 4/18-4/19 2024.    A view from Glacier Vista on 4/18 Looking towards Camp Muir from Cathedral Gap 4/19 Looking up the Ingraham Direct from Cathedral Gap 4/19 A party crossing a snow bridge around 11,800' on the ID A view from Glacier Vista on 4/19 with fresh avalanches noted on the Nisqually    ..read more

Where did the summer go? With the return of fall, operations and services at Mount Rainier will begin to decrease. Climbing and Wilderness Permits are still required through the fall and winter for traveling on Mount Rainier above 10,000 feet or on glaciers. Self-registration for climbers in Paradise begins Monday September 11th, 2023 as the Paradise Wilderness Information Center will close September 10th. There will be a self-registration box located outside the Old Ranger Station in Paradise. As winter approaches a large tunnel will be put in front of the door. Walk through this tunnel and f ..read more

It's feeling and looking like Fall on the mountain. The Muir snowfield has become the Muir icefield. Microspikes, or even better - crampons, are necessary for the travel. There is no longer a 'trail' to follow, and one should expect to use dry glacier navigation skills. With fall moving in, whiteout conditions will become more common. Have a GPS track running on the way up, to follow on the way down in case of weather. Crevasses on the Upper Portion of the Snowfield More Broken Terrain on the Upper Portion of the Snowfield Guide services have been working all seaso ..read more

Looking across the Cowlitz Glacier from Camp Muir with some smoke haze in the air. (8/22/23) August is quickly coming to a close, and we are back to discuss the condition of the DC after the heatwave in the past week or so. The aftermath, if you will. If you haven't gotten the chance to check out what was happening to the mountain during this prolonged period of elevated temperatures, check out:  This blog post with pictures about what was happening mid-heat wave 8/16 A video from the helicopter with upper mountain views on 8/18 Route Overview: With 17,000'+ freezing le ..read more

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The 17,000+ foot freezing levels we've had over the last few days have had quite the impact on Mount Rainier and its glaciers. Things have been changing drastically from one day to the next (or hour by hour) with how fast things are melting. This puts climbers at a higher level of risk than normal and requires a lot of prior experience on glaciers and climbing to have the skillset for managing the risks and route navigation decisions.  Again, these HOT temperatures are making conditions DIFFICULT for climbers. The traverse across the Cowlitz Glacier has been changing day by day as guide ..read more

  Looking up through the sea of penitentes towards the ice headwall from just above the cleaver. 8/8/23 It's August on Mt. Rainier and there's no two ways about it! With a number of successful summits, and an almost even number of parties spinning due to conditional challenges and inclement weather, the mountain is telling us it's starting to wind down for the season.  View down towards the top of the Disappointment Cleaver itself. Note the faint trail through the penitente and light fresh dusting of snow. Precipitation has come on the upper mountain without being in some forec ..read more

Blue Ice, crevasses, and warm temperatures oh my! The Muir Snowfield is becoming more of an "Icefield" than a snowfield.  There is exposed glacial ice with a number of crevasses beginning to open up above 8500'. Where there is snow, the surface conditions are quite sun cupped and coated with a fine layer of rock and dust. These hazards will only progress with our forecasted hot temperatures over the next week.  ~8in Wide Crevasse at 9,600ft  The crevasses that are present on the upper portion of the snowfield are relatively easy to spot and navigate around, bu ..read more

Climbing Rangers got on the ice pitches of the Kautz on Wednesday and they are in excellent condition. Even if you don't go or make it to the summit, the ice pitches of the Kautz can be an excellent outing to sneak in some ice climbing in August and September. The Rangers took the Wilson Gulley to approach the Castle. Be sure to move through the rock fall hazard efficiently if you choose to go this way. It may not be an option much longer this season. The fan has been completely melted out for a while now. Consider the Comet Falls to Van Trump approach; you gain more elevation this way, but i ..read more