Flett Glacier Area - Mount Rainier - 9-8-2008
9/15/08
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4465
5
On this trip I had two main goals:
1. Ski on or near the Flett or Russell Glaciers
2. Make it back to the Spray Park trail before it was completely dark.
I Left the Spray Park trail head with a overloaded pack as usual at Noon and made pretty good time on the trail despite being on the trail for a little too long. I should have left the trail and started route finding when my instincts (and map) were telling me too. Instead I kept going as I had some company on the trail and I wanted to see what lay up ahead, as this was my first trip on the north side of Rainier. Took a short lunch break past Spray Park with some nice folks from Seattle (thanks for sharing your sandwich!) and started making my way to what my map shows as part of the Flett Glacier, but looked like a large series of snow fields. ...It's probably global warming playing tricks on me. I encountered a relatively recent ski or snowboard track on the snow field I picked for September turns. Maybe it's from
My high point for the day (Click to enlarge)
The line I took (Click to enlarge)
The moon rising over (I think) Ptarmigan Ridge
Sunset and reflection over a beautiful tarn
Thanks to
1. Ski on or near the Flett or Russell Glaciers
2. Make it back to the Spray Park trail before it was completely dark.
I Left the Spray Park trail head with a overloaded pack as usual at Noon and made pretty good time on the trail despite being on the trail for a little too long. I should have left the trail and started route finding when my instincts (and map) were telling me too. Instead I kept going as I had some company on the trail and I wanted to see what lay up ahead, as this was my first trip on the north side of Rainier. Took a short lunch break past Spray Park with some nice folks from Seattle (thanks for sharing your sandwich!) and started making my way to what my map shows as part of the Flett Glacier, but looked like a large series of snow fields. ...It's probably global warming playing tricks on me. I encountered a relatively recent ski or snowboard track on the snow field I picked for September turns. Maybe it's from
My high point for the day (Click to enlarge)
The line I took (Click to enlarge)
The moon rising over (I think) Ptarmigan Ridge
Sunset and reflection over a beautiful tarn
Thanks to
Nice TR and photos!
Cool mose, glad to hear you took advantage of this beautiful area...if you hit it again towards the end of Sept., you might encounter fresh POW. We got about 2' of it last year at the end of September - good stuff! Great tr - I love the sunset pic especially! I think you're right on...I believe it's about 7 miles up to the top of the snowfield on the E side of Observation, W side of Echo rock...14 or so miles RT.
Yes, I remember pretty clearly!! On September 30th last year I found myself up on the lower Muir Snow field in a blizzard. ...Well maybe not a true blizzard, but winds speeds were at least 30mph and there was snow blowing everywhere. Coming from the sky and from the ground. All the other skiers and boarders were on there way down, and here I was making my way up. I laid my poles down on the snow to adjust my boots, and around 30 seconds later they were almost buried. Visibility would come and go, so I could barely focus on one point in front of me before loosing it, and I was also loosing the feeling in my hands - even with thick winter gloves on. I had enough and skied down to the top of the stairs where the snow ended. Put a few big dings in my old planks trying to stop by those stairs too. This year I told myself I wouldn't push it till the last day of the month!! ...Especially since there was some new fresh at the end of August.
Oh yes last year on Sept 30th was by far the best Sept ski turns I have ever had. Glad you were able to ride the Flett and make it out before dark.
Its a rather sketchy hike in the dark.
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=7856.0
Its a rather sketchy hike in the dark.
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=7856.0
Nice job, Chris, and a good push.
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