Muir Snowfield, October 28th, 2011

The forecast was for a brief, yet intense storm on Friday, with snow levels down around 5000'
Brian contacted me with talk of powder on the Muir Snowfield. I didn't need much convincing, so we met at his house around 5:30 on Saturday, the 28th.

The morning started out rather foggy and crunchy.



That's Brian on the left.


That's Brian on the right.


After brief sunbreaks and blue sky patches, the weather cleared for good around 8000'.


The last 1000' to Camp Muir included strong, gusty winds . That, and the altitude, made for slow going. Just before reaching Camp Muir, I got blown over by one of the stronger gusts.


There were 5 volcanoes visible to the south: From left to right, the ancient Goat Rocks, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, (a barely visible) Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. St. Helens (below).



All of them are just visible in this picture.




Brian skiing the quality conditions on the upper Muir Snowfield.



My turn, with the Nisqually Icefall in the background.


Perfect snow conditions around 8500'.


Our turns are up there somewhere.
Camp Muir is another 1/2 mile and 500' above the pinnacle of Anvil Rock (on the right).


On the walk down, the cirrus clouds altered the sun while the valley clouds fought a losing battle.


It was a good day.

TAY on Paradise Glacier, October 8th, 2011

I went up to Mt. Rainier to complete my first turns all year on the Paradise Glacier.

The Fourth Crossing trailhead parking. The pattern on the pavement is frost.


Self-portrait on the walk in.


A view of Tatoosh Range Peaks (l to r): Unicorn Peak, The Castle, Pinnacle, Plummer, Denman, Lane, Chutla and Eagle Peaks
Mt St Helens can be seen on the distant horizon.


A frozen tarn on the Paradise Glacier trail. Little Tahoma is the prominent summit. I ate lunch on the snow-covered skyline to the right of Little Tahoma.


The obligatory shot of Rainier, with the entrance to the lower Paradise Glacier in the foreground.


The start of skiing on the snout of the Paradise Glacier.


Looking south from near the terminus of the Paradise Glacier
Mt Adams in the distance.


My first turns on the Paradise Glacier




This is the view from the boulder half way up the slope in the previous picture. I ate lunch on the snow-covered skyline on the shoulder of Cowlitz rocks across the way.


The view from the flats at the bottom of my first run. Mt Adams again.


The only other person I saw (other than hikers on the trail down) was this person, visible as a speck on the snow to the right of the top of the right-hand ski pole grip.


The upper Paradise Glacier from my lunch spot.


A panorama of the view south. Mt Adams yet again. The route into the lower Paradise Glacier is the snow covered terrain below and to the right of the Tatoosh Range peaks.


Another panorama from my lunch spot. There are actually 4 volcanoes visible in this image.
Goat Rocks, an ancient remnant, on the left, Mt Adams, Mt Hood to the right of Adams, and Mt St Helens.