Paradise/Muir - predictions for the weekend...

I haven't seen any trip reports for areas from Paradise up to Muir recently. With this wacky inversion it looks like it will be warm and sunny up there. My only concern would be possible wet slides from the warmth that could happen in the only couple steeper spots like pan point. Anyone been up there? Any debris/recent slide activity up there? If anything, lets pray this inversion goes away and we get a cold and wet February!!

It would be a long walk up from Longmire.

I'm going to take my ATV from Longmire on up. Just kidding. The nps.gov web site says road open to Paradise weekends only, info updated 1-15-09. Do you have a more accurate info source saying it will be closed? Much appreciated as driving down there to see a closed gate would be a drag. :-[

I've been skiing upto 4500 ft outside the Park (mt. tahoma ski trail system) and i think the NWAC report on snow conditions is right on: corn snow on some Southerly slopes, icy on shaded slopes, maybe some consistent breakable crust and some incosistent breakable crust in many places. From 2,000-4,500 ft asl, there is crusty top layers (say 2 inches) of snow with some powdery to transmorgified snow beneath then to water saturated snow below; some rotten snow in places. On MTTA, even today, there is lots of ice on previously skied/groomed surfaces. But it has been significantly warmer above 4,500 than below. There have been a couple of avalanche cylces according to NWAC. I suspect there is wet slide potential in some places. In other words, if you look hard enough you should find everything but powder (and mayble some of that on certain aspects under certain conditions).

Check out the blog @ mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/

I know of two parties planning to climb and ski from the summit, sounds like the weekend to make it happen.  I imagine the place will be far from desolate with the brilliant blue skies shinning. 

Check out the blog @ mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/

I know of two parties planning to climb and ski from the summit, sounds like the weekend to make it happen.  I imagine the place will be far from desolate with the brilliant blue skis shinning. 

Wow, nice report by Stefan! To be his age, with his job! I've talked to him a couple of times, seems like a real nice guy.