June 29, 1996 - Feb 10, 2011, Rainier, Muir x 100
2/15/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
35694
28
June 29, 1996, Mount Rainier, Muir Snowfield: 1st Time
A fateful summer day which dawned sunny and crisp and crystal clear. Struggling upward step-by-step, alone in my cocoon with my onerous burden, isolated from the crowds joining me on the pilgrimage up the Muir Snowfield on Mount Rainier. Bearing the tools for a long-sought ski descent, 42 lbs of alpine skis and boots and gear and dreams. Onward and upward, heavier and slower, hour after hour, step after step after step. The tantalizing goal of Camp Muir at long last becoming visible, inching ever so slowly within my grasp, and finally attained after 6 hours of sweat and toil.
A much-needed rest in the thin air and endless views, the hours growing lazy and late. Then onto the skis for the swift descent, free and fast. The unsteady balance of skiing with a pack for the first time, tentative at first but soon perfected. The swift hiss of sharp skis carving sinuous arcs down an endless slope of perfect smooth corn snow. Skiing and volcanoes and glaciers, wind and fire and ice. The essence of the Cascade Range, a sublime marriage of disparate elements, the fusion of hot and cold, sun and snow, fast and slow, the alpha and omega experienced while gliding on the razors edge. My first backcountry ski experience, a lifetime of lift-served yo-yoing traded for a single shining run, a dream realized and a life changed forever. I had been reborn.
Text above was originally written in 2000, revised and edited now.
Paradise Weather Data for June 29, 1996: high 55 °F, low 32 °F, snow depth 42"
Skis: Rossignol 7X Kevlar (198cm, 85-65-74) with Marker M48Ti bindings, 12 lbs 8 oz (5.7 kg)
Boots: Rossignol Course E, 9 lbs 12 oz (4.4 kg), plus hiking boots for the entire ascent
Total Ascent: 4700 ft
Ski Ascent: 0 (alpine skis)
Ski Descent: 4700 ft
Photos: 0 (owned no camera)
February 10, 2011, Mount Rainier, Muir Snowfield: 100th Time
Almost fifteen years, and really a second lifetime too, have passed since my epiphany, my rebirth on the Muir Snowfield that day. Five more years of grad school to complete my PhD, then nearly six years as a member of the research faculty in the UW Physics Department, and now several years of freedom and chasing my dreams, trying to complete my guidebook and sort out my course in life. My website skimountaineer.com first launching way back in November 1997, the idea to write a guidebook to Skiing the Cascade Volcanoes germinating back in June 1999. Over 470 days and nearly 2 million vertical ft of backcountry skiing since that first day at Muir, including well over 100 volcano summits on over 30 different volcanoes.
And now so much happening in the last week alone, my previous trip to Muir (. So much sadness and bonding and deep emotions since then, culminating with a profound trip to retrieve her gear from the summit only three days ago (
I started my slow, steady, tired ascent from Paradise a little after 10am, just after a large caravan of 16 police cruisers and SUVs had arrived in the parking lot (Pierce County Sheriff and Tacoma Police, doing snow search and rescue practice). It was almost the same time as I had left Paradise on my first trip in 1996. Very calm and quiet at first, no wind and no people either. Surprisingly the 6-8" of new snow from 2 days earlier was still light and powdery in the meadows above Paradise, unaffected at all by the previous day's sunshine. Topping Panorama Point on a nice easy skin track, I caught up to two groups of two skinning uphill. After exchanging chit-chat and names, we formed a loose association of five, taking turns breaking trail up the Snowfield in the glorious weather, sunny with just a minimal breeze and a few puffy clouds casting shadows sweeping across the snow.
Breaking trail up the Muir Snowfield before the winds hit.
Our loosely connected group skinning up.
An incipient lenticular cloud had formed over the summit by 11am when I'd reached the flats below Pan Face, and it continued to grow as we ascended. Then the winds hit us: at first an occasional snow devil whirling down the Snowfield, then an increasingly strong and gusty NNW wind above 8000 ft, flowing over the summit of Rainier and then pouring downslope towards us. We all added more and more clothing to cope, but by 9000 ft the downhill headwind had reached 30-40 mph, with occasional gusts near 50 mph that upset our balance on the increasingly firm and icy snow surface.
Skinning up into high winds above 8500 ft.
Progress was slowed to a crawl by the snowy blasts of wind, which magnified the difficulty in maintaining grip on the iciest patches. I added ski crampons at 9300 ft, and continued up alone, as the others turned around at that point. I might have turned around too, had this not been potentially my 100th ski from Muir. Skies were clear overhead and temps were still warm in the 20s, but all around us was a
Looking down from near 9300 ft, with snow blowing overhead and all around the others skinning up.
I realized that some strategy would be needed in order to even reach Camp Muir under such conditions. I decided to head NW, straight up into the teeth of the wind towards the 9800 ft toe of Cowlitz Cleaver, to try to quickly gain the comparative wind shadow of the steep headwall there at the top of the Snowfield. Eventually it worked, I moved into the shelter of the Cleaver with only an occasional blast mixing downwards, and even skinned across numerous drifts of loose wind-deposited snow, some up to a foot deep. From here, it was an angling traverse NE to reach Camp Muir, an unusual route variation that I'd never taken before.
Approaching Muir from a new direction.
I arrived at 2:30pm, the battle with the wind and the long detour west having cost about an hour of time. A large RMI group was just returning from the summit via Ingraham Direct, with two rope teams led by Seth Waterfall and other guides. They had left in near-calm conditions in the early AM (just as seen on telemetry), but winds had picked up by the time they summited, and were blasting them from behind during much of the descent. After a brief chat, I skinned over to the public shelter and huddled inside out of the wind. A skier and boarder were packing up and preparing to descend, they had summited on foot via Gib Ledges. As we chatted inside the hut, it seemed that the winds outside were decreasing quickly. By the time we skied down after 3pm, there was only a moderate breeze left at Muir, while low clouds were forming in the valleys below and obscuring the view down to the Paradise area.
Mounts Adams, Hood, and St Helens from Camp Muir, with Paradise obscured by building clouds.
The skier and boarder I met at the Muir hut.
Snow conditions were quite mixed as expected after the sudden windstorm, but they weren't too bad. Skiing down along pillows of wind-deposited snow provided nice turns in dense powder, with a few icy areas needing to be crossed to connect the pillows. Almost miraculously, the wind lower down on the Snowfield had entirely subsided to calm by 9000 ft, and the only breeze was that generated by our own motion downhill. Amazing what a difference that a half-hour break made in the ski conditions and the enjoyment of the run. It felt as though the strong headwinds and ground blizzard had been a test of my will to reach Muir yet again, and the calm conditions and freshly deposited powder drifts were a reward for passing that test.
Below 8500 ft, there was no more ice, but there were a few areas of breakable windcrust which required caution. Otherwise snow conditions were fairly good on windpacked powder down to the Pebble Creek area. Even along the ridge back to Pan Point, the snow was still OK, although the steep south-facing rolls had been significantly sun-affected by now.
Pan Face was in good condition, despite innumerable small natural rollers which tracked up the snow, it still skied very nicely, soft and easy to carve in the afternoon sun. The clouds down here had mostly dissipated, keeping the run in the sunshine the whole way. A quick cruise down the snowy meadows, which was best on sunny aspects while avoiding the incipient crust in shady areas, brought me back to Paradise by 4pm. I recalled with a smile that on my first trip in 1996, I hadn't even reached Camp Muir until after 4pm.
View from atop Pan Point, with a segment of the 22-degree solar halo (or sundog) at upper right.
Some Thoughts About Muir, A Ski Route for All Seasons:
What can I say about the Muir Snowfield, named for one of the greatest heroes of the environmental movement, John Muir. And really misnamed, for the "Snowfield" is actually a glacier, with a core of blue glacial ice beneath the surface snow, and often sporting a number of open crevasses by late summer. When integrated over a full year, I think that it's the single best ski route in the Cascades (and therefore in the lower 48 states, at least). No other route can match its combination of stunning scenery, easy accessibility, large vertical, and length of season, with skiable snow of some sort available year-round. Most importantly, it's an egalitarian route, skiable safely by almost any skier willing to learn the most basic backcountry skills, not restricted to the athletic and highly-skilled like other more serious routes which are often nominated as "best". In fair weather (and only in such), it's an ideal training ground for introducing newcomers to our sport (assuming they have adequate fitness of course). Over the years since 1996, I've taken a number of newbies up to Camp Muir for their first backcountry turns and first summer turns, on alpine skis, alpine trekkers, AT, snowboards, and splitboards.
I've skied from Camp Muir in all seasons, at least 3 times in every month of the year, in every snow condition from best to worst. From blower powder to ball-bearing graupel-powder to firm windpacked powder, on perfect smooth corn snow and crinkling firnspiegel and oversoftened mush, on the icy trap-crust of sunset which makes turning impossible, on windblown ridges of sastrugi and icy fins of water ice, on bare frozen rain crust like a skating rink in January and bare blue glacial ice studded with dirt and rocks in September. I've also skied from Camp Muir by several different routes other than the Muir Snowfield alone, with Cowlitz Glacier, Paradise Glacier, and Nisqually Chute being the main alternate routes, along with a number of variations.
Many people disparage the Muir Snowfield for whatever reason (too flat, too boring, too crowded, their own arrogance, etc). But I've always been sold on its charms, and it will always hold a cherished place in my heart. It's the temple where I found my religion, 15 years ago that day. Those same people may also disparage 100 ski descents from Muir as being nothing much of significance, and they may have a point, it's not that important. But it's a significant milestone in my life, and I felt like sharing the story (and the backstory) with you all. I'm certainly looking forward to my next 100 ski descents from Muir over the upcoming years, and perhaps sharing the experience of this special place on a special Mountain with more of you!
Histogram of my trips to Camp Muir: ski trips in blue, on foot in gray.
This was my 104th ascent to Muir, but 4 of them were on foot only with no skis, for mid-summer climbs of the DC.
Multiple ascents/ski descents of the upper snowfield to Muir on a single day have been counted as only a single trip.
Paradise Weather Data for February 10, 2011: high 40 °F, low 22 °F, snow depth 123"
Skis: K2 Mt Baker Superlight (174cm, 125-88-108) with Dynafit Vertical FT bindings, 9 lbs 5 oz (4.2 kg)
Boots: Garmont MegaRide Mg, 7 lbs (3.2 kg)
Total Ascent: 4700 ft
Ski Ascent: 4700 ft (800 ft with ski crampons)
Ski Descent: 4700 ft
[tt]MOUNT RAINIER RECREATIONAL FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
413 AM PST THU FEB 10 2011
SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT. A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN LATER FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY. A RELATIVELY WET PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK AS ADDITIONAL FRONTAL SYSTEMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. FREEZING LEVEL 6000 FEET.
THURSDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 7000 FEET.
FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 7500 FEET.
FRIDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE EVENING...THEN SNOW AND RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW LEVEL 5000 FEET.
SATURDAY...SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 3000 FEET.
SATURDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET.
SUNDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
SUNDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...SNOW AND RAIN LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 3500 FEET.
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
TEMPERATURE AND WIND FORECASTS FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS.
THU THU FRI FRI SAT
NIGHT NIGHT
SUMMIT (14411 FT) 5 4 4 9 0
NW 26 W 30 W 55 W 72 W 84
CAMP MUIR(10188 FT) 20 23 22 19 14
NW 25 NW 20 SW 42 SW 69 SW 59
PARADISE (5420 FT) 40 25 41 29 34
SE 5 N 5 W 5 W 13 SW 15
LONGMIRE (2700 FT) 40 28 42 33 36
E 2 E 3 N 4 N 8 W 4
[/tt]
(Minor edits for spelling and grammar, plus one fix.)
A fateful summer day which dawned sunny and crisp and crystal clear. Struggling upward step-by-step, alone in my cocoon with my onerous burden, isolated from the crowds joining me on the pilgrimage up the Muir Snowfield on Mount Rainier. Bearing the tools for a long-sought ski descent, 42 lbs of alpine skis and boots and gear and dreams. Onward and upward, heavier and slower, hour after hour, step after step after step. The tantalizing goal of Camp Muir at long last becoming visible, inching ever so slowly within my grasp, and finally attained after 6 hours of sweat and toil.
A much-needed rest in the thin air and endless views, the hours growing lazy and late. Then onto the skis for the swift descent, free and fast. The unsteady balance of skiing with a pack for the first time, tentative at first but soon perfected. The swift hiss of sharp skis carving sinuous arcs down an endless slope of perfect smooth corn snow. Skiing and volcanoes and glaciers, wind and fire and ice. The essence of the Cascade Range, a sublime marriage of disparate elements, the fusion of hot and cold, sun and snow, fast and slow, the alpha and omega experienced while gliding on the razors edge. My first backcountry ski experience, a lifetime of lift-served yo-yoing traded for a single shining run, a dream realized and a life changed forever. I had been reborn.
Text above was originally written in 2000, revised and edited now.
Paradise Weather Data for June 29, 1996: high 55 °F, low 32 °F, snow depth 42"
Skis: Rossignol 7X Kevlar (198cm, 85-65-74) with Marker M48Ti bindings, 12 lbs 8 oz (5.7 kg)
Boots: Rossignol Course E, 9 lbs 12 oz (4.4 kg), plus hiking boots for the entire ascent
Total Ascent: 4700 ft
Ski Ascent: 0 (alpine skis)
Ski Descent: 4700 ft
Photos: 0 (owned no camera)
February 10, 2011, Mount Rainier, Muir Snowfield: 100th Time
Almost fifteen years, and really a second lifetime too, have passed since my epiphany, my rebirth on the Muir Snowfield that day. Five more years of grad school to complete my PhD, then nearly six years as a member of the research faculty in the UW Physics Department, and now several years of freedom and chasing my dreams, trying to complete my guidebook and sort out my course in life. My website skimountaineer.com first launching way back in November 1997, the idea to write a guidebook to Skiing the Cascade Volcanoes germinating back in June 1999. Over 470 days and nearly 2 million vertical ft of backcountry skiing since that first day at Muir, including well over 100 volcano summits on over 30 different volcanoes.
And now so much happening in the last week alone, my previous trip to Muir (. So much sadness and bonding and deep emotions since then, culminating with a profound trip to retrieve her gear from the summit only three days ago (
I started my slow, steady, tired ascent from Paradise a little after 10am, just after a large caravan of 16 police cruisers and SUVs had arrived in the parking lot (Pierce County Sheriff and Tacoma Police, doing snow search and rescue practice). It was almost the same time as I had left Paradise on my first trip in 1996. Very calm and quiet at first, no wind and no people either. Surprisingly the 6-8" of new snow from 2 days earlier was still light and powdery in the meadows above Paradise, unaffected at all by the previous day's sunshine. Topping Panorama Point on a nice easy skin track, I caught up to two groups of two skinning uphill. After exchanging chit-chat and names, we formed a loose association of five, taking turns breaking trail up the Snowfield in the glorious weather, sunny with just a minimal breeze and a few puffy clouds casting shadows sweeping across the snow.
Breaking trail up the Muir Snowfield before the winds hit.
Our loosely connected group skinning up.
An incipient lenticular cloud had formed over the summit by 11am when I'd reached the flats below Pan Face, and it continued to grow as we ascended. Then the winds hit us: at first an occasional snow devil whirling down the Snowfield, then an increasingly strong and gusty NNW wind above 8000 ft, flowing over the summit of Rainier and then pouring downslope towards us. We all added more and more clothing to cope, but by 9000 ft the downhill headwind had reached 30-40 mph, with occasional gusts near 50 mph that upset our balance on the increasingly firm and icy snow surface.
Skinning up into high winds above 8500 ft.
Progress was slowed to a crawl by the snowy blasts of wind, which magnified the difficulty in maintaining grip on the iciest patches. I added ski crampons at 9300 ft, and continued up alone, as the others turned around at that point. I might have turned around too, had this not been potentially my 100th ski from Muir. Skies were clear overhead and temps were still warm in the 20s, but all around us was a
Looking down from near 9300 ft, with snow blowing overhead and all around the others skinning up.
I realized that some strategy would be needed in order to even reach Camp Muir under such conditions. I decided to head NW, straight up into the teeth of the wind towards the 9800 ft toe of Cowlitz Cleaver, to try to quickly gain the comparative wind shadow of the steep headwall there at the top of the Snowfield. Eventually it worked, I moved into the shelter of the Cleaver with only an occasional blast mixing downwards, and even skinned across numerous drifts of loose wind-deposited snow, some up to a foot deep. From here, it was an angling traverse NE to reach Camp Muir, an unusual route variation that I'd never taken before.
Approaching Muir from a new direction.
I arrived at 2:30pm, the battle with the wind and the long detour west having cost about an hour of time. A large RMI group was just returning from the summit via Ingraham Direct, with two rope teams led by Seth Waterfall and other guides. They had left in near-calm conditions in the early AM (just as seen on telemetry), but winds had picked up by the time they summited, and were blasting them from behind during much of the descent. After a brief chat, I skinned over to the public shelter and huddled inside out of the wind. A skier and boarder were packing up and preparing to descend, they had summited on foot via Gib Ledges. As we chatted inside the hut, it seemed that the winds outside were decreasing quickly. By the time we skied down after 3pm, there was only a moderate breeze left at Muir, while low clouds were forming in the valleys below and obscuring the view down to the Paradise area.
Mounts Adams, Hood, and St Helens from Camp Muir, with Paradise obscured by building clouds.
The skier and boarder I met at the Muir hut.
Snow conditions were quite mixed as expected after the sudden windstorm, but they weren't too bad. Skiing down along pillows of wind-deposited snow provided nice turns in dense powder, with a few icy areas needing to be crossed to connect the pillows. Almost miraculously, the wind lower down on the Snowfield had entirely subsided to calm by 9000 ft, and the only breeze was that generated by our own motion downhill. Amazing what a difference that a half-hour break made in the ski conditions and the enjoyment of the run. It felt as though the strong headwinds and ground blizzard had been a test of my will to reach Muir yet again, and the calm conditions and freshly deposited powder drifts were a reward for passing that test.
Below 8500 ft, there was no more ice, but there were a few areas of breakable windcrust which required caution. Otherwise snow conditions were fairly good on windpacked powder down to the Pebble Creek area. Even along the ridge back to Pan Point, the snow was still OK, although the steep south-facing rolls had been significantly sun-affected by now.
Pan Face was in good condition, despite innumerable small natural rollers which tracked up the snow, it still skied very nicely, soft and easy to carve in the afternoon sun. The clouds down here had mostly dissipated, keeping the run in the sunshine the whole way. A quick cruise down the snowy meadows, which was best on sunny aspects while avoiding the incipient crust in shady areas, brought me back to Paradise by 4pm. I recalled with a smile that on my first trip in 1996, I hadn't even reached Camp Muir until after 4pm.
View from atop Pan Point, with a segment of the 22-degree solar halo (or sundog) at upper right.
Some Thoughts About Muir, A Ski Route for All Seasons:
What can I say about the Muir Snowfield, named for one of the greatest heroes of the environmental movement, John Muir. And really misnamed, for the "Snowfield" is actually a glacier, with a core of blue glacial ice beneath the surface snow, and often sporting a number of open crevasses by late summer. When integrated over a full year, I think that it's the single best ski route in the Cascades (and therefore in the lower 48 states, at least). No other route can match its combination of stunning scenery, easy accessibility, large vertical, and length of season, with skiable snow of some sort available year-round. Most importantly, it's an egalitarian route, skiable safely by almost any skier willing to learn the most basic backcountry skills, not restricted to the athletic and highly-skilled like other more serious routes which are often nominated as "best". In fair weather (and only in such), it's an ideal training ground for introducing newcomers to our sport (assuming they have adequate fitness of course). Over the years since 1996, I've taken a number of newbies up to Camp Muir for their first backcountry turns and first summer turns, on alpine skis, alpine trekkers, AT, snowboards, and splitboards.
I've skied from Camp Muir in all seasons, at least 3 times in every month of the year, in every snow condition from best to worst. From blower powder to ball-bearing graupel-powder to firm windpacked powder, on perfect smooth corn snow and crinkling firnspiegel and oversoftened mush, on the icy trap-crust of sunset which makes turning impossible, on windblown ridges of sastrugi and icy fins of water ice, on bare frozen rain crust like a skating rink in January and bare blue glacial ice studded with dirt and rocks in September. I've also skied from Camp Muir by several different routes other than the Muir Snowfield alone, with Cowlitz Glacier, Paradise Glacier, and Nisqually Chute being the main alternate routes, along with a number of variations.
Many people disparage the Muir Snowfield for whatever reason (too flat, too boring, too crowded, their own arrogance, etc). But I've always been sold on its charms, and it will always hold a cherished place in my heart. It's the temple where I found my religion, 15 years ago that day. Those same people may also disparage 100 ski descents from Muir as being nothing much of significance, and they may have a point, it's not that important. But it's a significant milestone in my life, and I felt like sharing the story (and the backstory) with you all. I'm certainly looking forward to my next 100 ski descents from Muir over the upcoming years, and perhaps sharing the experience of this special place on a special Mountain with more of you!
Histogram of my trips to Camp Muir: ski trips in blue, on foot in gray.
This was my 104th ascent to Muir, but 4 of them were on foot only with no skis, for mid-summer climbs of the DC.
Multiple ascents/ski descents of the upper snowfield to Muir on a single day have been counted as only a single trip.
Paradise Weather Data for February 10, 2011: high 40 °F, low 22 °F, snow depth 123"
Skis: K2 Mt Baker Superlight (174cm, 125-88-108) with Dynafit Vertical FT bindings, 9 lbs 5 oz (4.2 kg)
Boots: Garmont MegaRide Mg, 7 lbs (3.2 kg)
Total Ascent: 4700 ft
Ski Ascent: 4700 ft (800 ft with ski crampons)
Ski Descent: 4700 ft
[tt]MOUNT RAINIER RECREATIONAL FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
413 AM PST THU FEB 10 2011
SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT. A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN LATER FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY. A RELATIVELY WET PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK AS ADDITIONAL FRONTAL SYSTEMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. FREEZING LEVEL 6000 FEET.
THURSDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 7000 FEET.
FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 7500 FEET.
FRIDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE EVENING...THEN SNOW AND RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW LEVEL 5000 FEET.
SATURDAY...SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 3000 FEET.
SATURDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET.
SUNDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
SUNDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...SNOW AND RAIN LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 3500 FEET.
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET.
TEMPERATURE AND WIND FORECASTS FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS.
THU THU FRI FRI SAT
NIGHT NIGHT
SUMMIT (14411 FT) 5 4 4 9 0
NW 26 W 30 W 55 W 72 W 84
CAMP MUIR(10188 FT) 20 23 22 19 14
NW 25 NW 20 SW 42 SW 69 SW 59
PARADISE (5420 FT) 40 25 41 29 34
SE 5 N 5 W 5 W 13 SW 15
LONGMIRE (2700 FT) 40 28 42 33 36
E 2 E 3 N 4 N 8 W 4
[/tt]
(Minor edits for spelling and grammar, plus one fix.)
Glad you're hanging in there Amar. Nothing trivial about becoming intimate with a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing what it means to you.
And thanks a TON for the jump the other night.....
And thanks a TON for the jump the other night.....
Cool, congrats on the 100! Nice write up. I too like to return to old haunts and see them in different conditions/seasons/light. Looking forward to the guide.
Enough of this drivel, who's the chick? ;D
We stayed below 8,000 and actually got in some really nice powder skiing.
Amar , A most appreciated post ! You better than most know the permutations of routes both up and down that wonderful place. 100 tours up there most likely isn't enough to sample it in all it's variety.
Hey Amar,
It was good to see you on your 100th. I think you got the last of the good snow (for now anyway). This morning the wind was averaging 60 with gusts in the high 80's at Muir. Thus the conditions on the snowfield were "windblown ridges of sastrugi and icy fins of water ice".
It was good to see you on your 100th. I think you got the last of the good snow (for now anyway). This morning the wind was averaging 60 with gusts in the high 80's at Muir. Thus the conditions on the snowfield were "windblown ridges of sastrugi and icy fins of water ice".
author=swaterfall link=topic=19542.msg83072#msg83072 date=1297484252]
Hey Amar,
It was good to see you on your 100th. I think you got the last of the good snow (for now anyway). This morning the wind was averaging 60 with gusts in the high 80's at Muir. Thus the conditions on the snowfield were "windblown ridges of sastrugi and icy fins of water ice".
Wow, you're not kidding! I hadn't looked at the telemetry all day until I just read your post, and it's kind of amazing how quickly the wind went nuts after midnight last night. Glad you all made it out of there before the winds hit 100 mph:
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
Paradise, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington Camp Muir, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
Data also courtesy Mt Rainier National Park
Wind sensors unheated and may rime
MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Hour Total 24 Hr Total Solar MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Wind Solar
PST F % Avg Max Dir Prec. Prec. Snow Snow W/m2 PST F % Min Avg Max Dir W/m2
5550' 5550' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5550' 5550' 5550' 5550' 5500' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
2 10 0 22 99 0 4 20 0 0 1 120 0 2 10 0 18 72 0 6 17 244 0
2 10 100 24 99 0 0 25 0 0 1 120 0 2 10 100 17 76 1 4 13 281 0
2 10 200 24 100 0 0 24 0 0 0 121 0 2 10 200 17 80 0 3 13 280 0
2 10 300 24 100 0 0 29 0 0 0 121 0 2 10 300 17 82 0 2 6 345 0
2 10 500 24 100 0 6 26 0 0 0 123 0 2 10 500 18 71 0 4 10 287 0
2 10 600 25 100 0 1 20 0 0 1 122 0 2 10 600 20 64 2 6 15 278 0
2 10 700 24 100 0 0 13 0 0 1 123 0 2 10 700 22 44 3 14 23 356 0
2 10 800 25 100 0 0 24 0 0 1 123 21 2 10 800 22 40 5 12 21 325 22
2 10 900 33 100 0 0 18 0 0 0 122 163 2 10 900 24 38 4 10 18 346 187
2 10 1000 34 100 0 0 67 0 0 0 122 319 2 10 1000 24 42 8 16 25 340 380
2 10 1100 34 100 0 0 343 0 0 0 122 468 2 10 1100 23 46 2 17 30 345 512
2 10 1200 34 100 0 0 264 0 0 0 122 553 2 10 1200 23 56 3 14 31 288 547
2 10 1300 38 95 0 4 135 0 0 0 121 598 2 10 1300 23 44 12 23 31 346 557
2 10 1400 40 95 0 4 240 0 0 0 121 486 2 10 1400 21 42 19 26 32 347 589
2 10 1500 34 100 0 5 263 0 0 0 121 402 2 10 1500 22 33 21 30 35 0 477
2 10 1600 39 94 0 3 270 0 0 0 121 284 2 10 1600 24 46 14 23 34 349 310
2 10 1700 34 100 0 0 352 0 0 0 122 102 2 10 1700 23 38 4 17 27 355 121
2 10 1800 32 100 0 0 35 0 0 0 122 3 2 10 1800 20 52 4 11 26 291 4
2 10 1900 32 100 0 0 41 0 0 0 122 0 2 10 1900 20 53 0 6 15 60 0
2 10 2000 31 100 0 1 45 0 0 0 122 0 2 10 2000 20 51 1 4 10 1 0
2 10 2100 33 86 0 0 42 0 0 0 122 0 2 10 2100 22 46 0 5 13 6 0
2 10 2200 34 86 0 4 311 0 0 0 122 0 2 10 2200 21 47 2 4 10 354 0
2 10 2300 34 86 0 2 305 0 0 0 122 0 2 10 2300 22 40 0 4 8 322 0
2 11 0 35 81 1 6 294 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 0 22 48 1 5 22 254 0
2 11 100 35 81 5 11 290 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 100 23 34 4 18 36 255 0
2 11 200 36 79 1 10 259 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 200 22 45 16 29 41 250 0
2 11 300 35 83 6 13 281 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 300 22 38 19 32 48 250 0
2 11 400 35 81 9 13 271 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 400 21 28 28 46 62 243 0
2 11 500 36 74 11 17 275 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 500 19 51 32 53 71 247 0
2 11 600 36 73 12 18 277 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 600 18 31 48 63 87 249 0
2 11 700 36 74 13 19 273 0 0 0 122 0 2 11 700 18 40 43 67 85 250 0
2 11 800 38 71 15 25 274 0 0 0 122 13 2 11 800 17 60 57 74 85 243 17
2 11 900 39 69 18 29 277 0 0 0 122 113 2 11 900 17 49 68 79 91 242 122
2 11 1000 40 71 20 28 275 0 0 0 121 226 2 11 1000 18 49 69 82 97 247 245
2 11 1100 39 76 18 23 268 0 0 0 121 257 2 11 1100 18 33 65 81 95 247 316
2 11 1200 39 78 17 23 269 0 0 0 121 296 2 11 1200 19 27 44 77 104 245 322
2 11 1300 39 70 17 22 266 0 0 0 121 304 2 11 1300 19 93 28 65 83 251 311
2 11 1400 39 60 19 27 266 0 0 0 121 213 2 11 1400 20 91 42 70 85 248 283
2 11 1500 38 56 20 28 263 0 0 0 121 180 2 11 1500 18 87 47 71 87 246 197
2 11 1600 37 65 19 29 262 0 0 0 121 110 2 11 1600 17 92 53 71 87 249 108
2 11 1700 37 68 22 36 268 0 0 0 121 33 2 11 1700 18 95 48 76 92 249 40
2 11 1800 35 78 21 36 269 0 0 0 121 2 2 11 1800 19 96 51 76 95 249 4
2 11 1900 37 66 18 26 266 0 0 0 121 0 2 11 1900 19 96 54 77 93 250 1
2 11 2000 37 51 17 27 267 0 0 1 121 0 2 11 2000 19 91 57 83 100 245 0
2 11 2100 34 66 13 21 264 0 0 0 121 0 2 11 2100 20 81 70 85 109 244 1
2 11 2200 36 58 17 23 269 0 0 0 121 0 2 11 2200 20 80 62 83 101 242 0
2 11 2300 35 54 17 28 268 0 0 0 121 0 2 11 2300 20 31 68 84 103 245 1
2 12 0 37 43 17 24 271 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 0 19 44 58 83 100 243 0
2 12 100 38 46 18 33 270 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 100 17 69 73 94 114 248 0
2 12 200 39 43 21 31 270 0 0 0 120 0 2 12 200 18 73 83 104 126 244 0
2 12 300 40 43 22 32 269 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 300 18 68 88 106 122 243 0
2 12 400 39 41 20 32 270 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 400 18 71 67 94 116 244 1
2 12 500 39 43 19 29 274 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 500 16 61 75 95 109 240 1
2 12 600 38 52 19 28 276 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 600 16 77 73 93 108 242 1
2 12 700 38 57 18 29 279 0 0 0 121 0 2 12 700 15 76 85 98 114 239 1
2 12 800 38 54 17 26 277 0 0 0 121 4 2 12 800 15 76 85 100 113 244 8
2 12 900 38 54 18 27 279 0 0 0 121 20 2 12 900 14 77 90 102 114 245 29
2 12 1000 38 48 15 24 271 0 0 0 120 66 2 12 1000 14 84 91 103 114 247 80
2 12 1100 38 52 16 28 272 0 0 0 121 70 2 12 1100 14 94 97 112 131 243 77
2 12 1200 38 52 20 34 274 0 0 0 120 121 2 12 1200 13 94 96 114 135 237 92
2 12 1300 38 56 19 31 264 0 0 0 121 177 2 12 1300 14 95 95 117 137 239 114
2 12 1400 36 63 16 28 259 0 0 0 120 93 2 12 1400 14 95 105 128 152 242 87
2 12 1500 35 65 21 35 264 0 0 0 120 48 2 12 1500 12 94 107 132 155 242 46
2 12 1600 34 78 21 37 272 0 0 0 120 21 2 12 1600 16 96 83 120 141 246 23
2 12 1700 30 100 16 24 267 .07 .07 1 119 7 2 12 1700 14 95 96 111 127 246 23
2 12 1800 31 100 24 40 273 .1 .17 1 122 0 2 12 1800 14 95 97 112 124 240 3
2 12 1900 29 100 27 40 270 .1 .27 4 121 0 2 12 1900 13 95 87 112 130 239 1
2 12 2000 28 100 25 36 263 .12 .39 5 300 0 2 12 2000 12 94 59 83 102 248 1
2 12 2100 28 100 28 48 268 .03 .42 7 127 0 2 12 2100 7 92 48 83 110 249 1
2 12 2200 26 100 28 46 269 .02 .44 7 126 0 2 12 2200 5 92 41 80 104 247 1
2 12 2300 24 99 28 50 273 0 .44 7 127 0 2 12 2300 4 91 25 53 85 242 0
[/tt][/size]
(Edited to add data for Feb 12, with winds exceeding [b]150 mph[/b], the highest ever recorded at Camp Muir since that telemetry site was installed in September 2006. [url=http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=19559.msg83258#msg83258]See this thread[/url] for more discussion of this wind event at Muir.)
author=acarey link=topic=19542.msg83067#msg83067 date=1297478624]
Enough of this drivel, who's the chick? ;D
Ummm . . . I'm not sure I should tell you, Andy! Even though you're probably just asking what most men are thinking anyway, whenever they see a photo of a woman. (shaking my head) Why don't you want to know who the other three people are??
Anyway, that's Laura Rodgers, retail manager at the Whittaker Mountaineering store in your hometown of Ashford. She's a skilled ski mountaineer, and has skied Rainier from the summit via Fuhrer Finger and Tahoma Glacier Sickle -- the latter route is definitely on my "most wanted" list for 2011.
(Hope I'm not violating her privacy -- that info appears to be freely available on the web already.)
Seems we have at least one thing in common...
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=19542.msg83081#msg83081 date=1297491603]
Ummm . . . I'm not sure I should tell you, Andy! Even though you're probably just asking what most men are thinking anyway, whenever they see a photo of a woman. (shaking my head) Why don't you want to know who the other three people are??
Anyway, that's Laura Rodgers, retail manager at the Whittaker Mountaineering store in your hometown of Ashford. She's a skilled ski mountaineer, and has skied Rainier from the summit via Fuhrer Finger and Tahoma Glacier Sickle -- the latter route is definitely on my "most wanted" list for 2011.
(Hope I'm not violating her privacy -- that info appears to be freely available on the web already.)
Thanks, Amar. That's what I thought! I know Laura, of course, because the Summit House is my shop of choice for outdoor clothing (I do like the Mountain Hardwear stuff and 1st Ascent stuff and I do live in Ashford) and Regine and I talk with Laura regularly. But it is hard to recognize someone in bc clothing/sunglasses, etc.
I don't care who the other 3 are because they didn't look familiar to me (and, of course, they are not very cute ;)). [now if they had been familiar rock stars that I've run across before like Andrew McLean, Nils Larson, or Steve Barnett--or even plain old Peter Whittaker or Lou Whittaker or, especially Erica W. (whom my wife met over 20 yrs ago climbing with RMI], I might have asked who they were if you hadn't ID'd them :)
Of course, the hunk behind Laura, looks like Tyler Reid, renowned ski guide who is also rumored to be a friend of Laura. ;D
Nice job Amar cool report!
In the month of May you probably skied Muir more times than I have since 1976!
Good to see that someone keeps track of those numbers otherwise they just get lost.
Born to Crunch Nuh...ahh..uhhh...uhhhmbers. Sung to Steppenwolf's song Born to be Wild. :D
In the month of May you probably skied Muir more times than I have since 1976!
Good to see that someone keeps track of those numbers otherwise they just get lost.
Born to Crunch Nuh...ahh..uhhh...uhhhmbers. Sung to Steppenwolf's song Born to be Wild. :D
author=acarey link=topic=19542.msg83089#msg83089 date=1297522399]
Of course, the hunk behind Laura, looks like Tyler Reid, renowned ski guide who is also rumored to be a friend of Laura. ;D
Nope, it's not Tyler -- his name is Sam, also working at Whittaker Mountaineering this winter, and it was his first time ever skinning (and only second time skiing). Apparently Laura agrees that the Muir Snowfield is a great place to introduce newcomers to our sport! It's too bad that the unexpected crazy winds and icy skiing conditions forced them to turn around, so close to Camp Muir.
And as long we're naming names, the third person in that photo (and the one breaking trail in the previous photo) is Art Freeman, an occasional TAY poster and well-known to many in the Mountaineers.
author=chmnyboy link=topic=19542.msg83082#msg83082 date=1297493257]
Seems we have at least one thing in common...
I used to have the white 7XK like those -- but they delaminated underfoot after 1-2 seasons and got warranty replaced with the new bluish-purple color of 7XKs, in 1994. I still have the "new" 7XKs, although I think that I last skied them around 1998!
congrats Amar!
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=19542.msg83094#msg83094 date=1297529480]
... Apparently Laura agrees that the Muir Snowfield is a great place to introduce newcomers to our sport! ...
I would guess a lot of us learned to bc ski on Muir Snowfield (as well as how to skin, climb with skins, self-arrest :-0). Unfortunately for me, my new wife (over 20 years ago) decided I should learn on the Nisquall.y Glacier, with breakable crust, and on BD Valmonte waxless skis (68/54/58 touring skis) with floppy leather boots ... a disaster for me; she did fine on her leather Merrell Ultras and Tua Touteneige; others in our party displayed many of the same acrobatics I did. Gary (Vogtski) still skis on the cap version of that ski (Tua Wilderness, I think), but with stiffer leather boots ::)
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=19542.msg83056#msg83056 date=1297468694]
June 29, 1996, Mount Rainier, Muir Snowfield: 1st Time
The essence of the Cascade Range, a sublime marriage of disparate elements, the fusion of hot and cold, sun and snow, fast and slow, the alpha and omega experienced while gliding on the razor’s edge.
No other route can match its combination of stunning scenery, easy accessibility, large vertical, and length of season, with skiable snow of some sort available year-round. Most importantly, it's an egalitarian route, skiable safely by almost any skier willing to learn the most basic backcountry skills, not restricted to the athletic and highly-skilled like other more serious routes which are often nominated as "best".
I share your deep affection for the Muir snowfield. Thanks to your post, I better understand why. The various essences of the place, which I had not fully articulated to myself, you have put most eloquently into words.
30,000 hits is good, but not good enough. More people must have the opportunity to read your prose. You need to be published! Here's hoping that soon we can see your book on the shelves.
Congratulations, Amar.
I haven't skied the Muir snowfield nearly as much as you have, but I agree that it's one of the classic ski routes in North America. The route from Paradise to Muir has tremendous history, both happy and tragic.
I haven't skied the Muir snowfield nearly as much as you have, but I agree that it's one of the classic ski routes in North America. The route from Paradise to Muir has tremendous history, both happy and tragic.
Congratulations Amar! I've always enjoyed your very thorough TRs and your website! When is your book coming out? Look forward to that.
The Muir (my number one hero, btw) snowfield is a wonderful place. I plan to get my wife and girls up there skiing this spring or next. It's about time to give my wife the trip that will make her say, "So this is why you love to BC ski so much!"
Take care, David.
The Muir (my number one hero, btw) snowfield is a wonderful place. I plan to get my wife and girls up there skiing this spring or next. It's about time to give my wife the trip that will make her say, "So this is why you love to BC ski so much!"
Take care, David.
Congrats Amar! I thoroughly enjoy your trip reports and website. Nice work getting to 100, that's quite a feat! I've only been to the Muir once, but can see why so many people find it such a special place.
Congratulations!
No kidding about the wind today, 12 hours averaging above 100 mph, with a peak gust of 155 mph.
2-12-2011
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
Camp Muir, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
Data also courtesy Mt Rainier National Park
Wind sensors unheated and may rime
MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Wind Solar
PST F % Min Avg Max Dir W/m2
10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
---------------------------------------------------------------
2 11 2100 20 81 70 85 109 244 1
2 11 2200 20 80 62 83 101 242 0
2 11 2300 20 31 68 84 103 245 1
2 12 0 19 44 58 83 100 243 0
2 12 100 17 69 73 94 114 248 0
2 12 200 18 73 83 104 126 244 0
2 12 300 18 68 88 106 122 243 0
2 12 400 18 71 67 94 116 244 1
2 12 500 16 61 75 95 109 240 1
2 12 600 16 77 73 93 108 242 1
2 12 700 15 76 85 98 114 239 1
2 12 800 15 76 85 100 113 244 8
2 12 900 14 77 90 102 114 245 29
2 12 1000 14 84 91 103 114 247 80
2 12 1100 14 94 97 112 131 243 77
2 12 1200 13 94 96 114 135 237 92
2 12 1300 14 95 95 117 137 239 114
2 12 1400 14 95 105 128 152 242 87
2 12 1500 12 94 107 132 155 242 46
2 12 1600 16 96 83 120 141 246 23
2 12 1700 14 95 96 111 127 246 23
2 12 1800 14 95 97 112 124 240 3
2 12 1900 13 95 87 112 130 239 1
2 12 2000 12 94 59 83 102 248 1
No kidding about the wind today, 12 hours averaging above 100 mph, with a peak gust of 155 mph.
2-12-2011
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
Camp Muir, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
Data also courtesy Mt Rainier National Park
Wind sensors unheated and may rime
MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Wind Solar
PST F % Min Avg Max Dir W/m2
10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
---------------------------------------------------------------
2 11 2100 20 81 70 85 109 244 1
2 11 2200 20 80 62 83 101 242 0
2 11 2300 20 31 68 84 103 245 1
2 12 0 19 44 58 83 100 243 0
2 12 100 17 69 73 94 114 248 0
2 12 200 18 73 83 104 126 244 0
2 12 300 18 68 88 106 122 243 0
2 12 400 18 71 67 94 116 244 1
2 12 500 16 61 75 95 109 240 1
2 12 600 16 77 73 93 108 242 1
2 12 700 15 76 85 98 114 239 1
2 12 800 15 76 85 100 113 244 8
2 12 900 14 77 90 102 114 245 29
2 12 1000 14 84 91 103 114 247 80
2 12 1100 14 94 97 112 131 243 77
2 12 1200 13 94 96 114 135 237 92
2 12 1300 14 95 95 117 137 239 114
2 12 1400 14 95 105 128 152 242 87
2 12 1500 12 94 107 132 155 242 46
2 12 1600 16 96 83 120 141 246 23
2 12 1700 14 95 96 111 127 246 23
2 12 1800 14 95 97 112 124 240 3
2 12 1900 13 95 87 112 130 239 1
2 12 2000 12 94 59 83 102 248 1
Thanks for sharing, Amar. I really enjoyed the read. Muir was my second trip into the BC which was last February, with a few other trips throughout the remainder of the year. I really appreciate the simplicity of the climb; it's great to know that a ski mountaineer of your caliber enjoys it, too. I'm looking forward to many more trips in the future!
100 times up Muir is a milestone for sure, but is this this first histogram ever posted to Turns All Year? That might be even more of a milestone!
Sorry, I'm a sucker for analytical nerdiness. Nice work.
Sorry, I'm a sucker for analytical nerdiness. Nice work.
Amar, this=badass. Well done!
Awesome, Amar! Best wishes for the next 100 Muir trips!
Other ski warriors out there looking for some variety may want to check out several challenging lines descending east between Paradise Glacier terminus and McClure Rock ('the Muir wall').
I look forward to many more of your stimulating trip reports & comments. Will your book cover records such as individuals with the most ski descents or most routes skied from each summit?
Other ski warriors out there looking for some variety may want to check out several challenging lines descending east between Paradise Glacier terminus and McClure Rock ('the Muir wall').
I look forward to many more of your stimulating trip reports & comments. Will your book cover records such as individuals with the most ski descents or most routes skied from each summit?
"My first backcountry ski experience, a lifetime of lift-served yo-yoing traded for a single shining run, a dream realized and a life changed forever. I had been reborn."
beautiful!
Thanks Amar.
beautiful!
Thanks Amar.
Thanks for the great trip report Amar. I always enjoy reading your trip reports. Looking forward to reading many more.
I too got hooked on backcountry skiing on Camp Muir a few years ago. I have many happy memories of the place. Now that I'm back home in Scotland, I'm using those skills and forming new 'friendships' with favourite places in the Scottish Highlands. Thanks to Camp Muir I'm finding a new appreciation for the mountains in my own back yard. The Cairngorms are a current favourite!
I too got hooked on backcountry skiing on Camp Muir a few years ago. I have many happy memories of the place. Now that I'm back home in Scotland, I'm using those skills and forming new 'friendships' with favourite places in the Scottish Highlands. Thanks to Camp Muir I'm finding a new appreciation for the mountains in my own back yard. The Cairngorms are a current favourite!
author=bcglaxer link=topic=19542.msg83189#msg83189 date=1297663648]
100 times up Muir is a milestone for sure, but is this this first histogram ever posted to Turns All Year? That might be even more of a milestone!
Actually, I think that's just a barchart, rather than a histogram since the abscissa is not cutpoints of the ordinate. But now we're getting pedantic ;D
author=andyrew link=topic=19542.msg83358#msg83358 date=1297821002">
Actually, I think that's just a barchart, rather than a histogram since the abscissa is not cutpoints of the ordinate. But now we're getting pedantic ;D
Andyrew, your comment made me think and do some reading (which is always good), to try to see if I had misused the term "histogram" -- after all I'm not a statistician. But in the end, I do think that it's a histogram -- it's a plot of the frequency distribution of a continuous variable (my arrival time at Camp Muir over course of the year). The cut points for the abscissa just happen to have been chosen to lie along the divisions between months. Perhaps just removing the gaps between the bars will make it "look" more like a histogram:
I could have as well chosen arbitrarily different cut points to give different bin sizes (such as day number, week number, the 4 seasons, or anything else), something which is a telltale sign of a histogram, and which can not be done for an ordinary bar chart (for example, one showing bars of GDP for various countries).
Anyway, thanks everyone for the kind comments here and in PMs/emails, I do appreciate them. It's hard to know ahead of time whether a fairly personal trip report such as this will be received with apathy or even scorn, or viewed by some as an exercise in egotism. So thanks also to the naysayers and Muir haters for remaining silent (thus far).
Here's an interesting photo which I should have put in the original TR: the underside of a lee wave cloud over the Muir Snowfield and Paradise Glacier, formed by the strong NNW wind passing over the mountain, down the slope towards us, and rising again to recondense into a lenticular-like cloud:
glad to see the religion does not lose appeal after so many pilgrimages! though i certainly do not have anywhere near 100 ascents to muir, or cloud camp, as muir called it (your picture reminded me), i have debated with friends the virtues of muir many a time when deciding where to go for a tour. now i can cite a reputable source with histograms to make my case ;) see you on the skin track!
Reviving an old post, but I missed it the first time. Great post. Muir was my introduction to backcountry skiing in the West, and is still my favorite...even if it is flat :). Great workout, amazing and humbling setting. I've been doing it 5-10 times a year for almost eight years and still find myself going back.
Reply to this TR
Please login first: