March 22, 2008, - Mt. Rainier, Camp Muir
3/22/08
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
7384
1
Some friends and I headed to Rainier so 2 of them could get some altitude before they leave this week for the Haute Route to lavish in Euro Hut skiing and write a piece for Telemark Ski Magazine.
As we pulled into the Paradise parking lot, I ran into Amar gearing up. I introduced him and he joined us for our jaunt to Muir with hopes of skiing the Nisqually Chutes.
We toured up toward Panorama Point, the sun slowly baking the snow while the absence of wind and aroma of sunscreen had my mind drifting toward thoughts of summertime.
Above Panorama Point, the snow became the usual crust as we meandered through rocks covered in wind swept rime and snow.
At roughly nine thousand feet, maybe sooner, the wind began its lashing. It did not let up. I hunkered beneath my hood as I continued along, attempting to shade my cheeks from the numbing cold.
Once we reached Muir, we quickly snapped the obligatory photos, geared up and descended in hopes to warm up and find some relief from the wind further below.
Crusty, breakable snow quickly became pockets of powder inducing smiles and shrills of joy.
As we neared the top of the chutes we found crusty conditions and decided to forgo the chutes for another time.
In Edith Creek Basin we passed a Denali prep course headed up the mountain for an 8 day excursion; one of the clients was a young woman. I stopped for a moment watching them drudge slowly up the hill with their enormous packs, toting sleds.
As I began to ski again I heard my name and stopped to see a friend who was working the trip. I asked him about the young woman and he said she was 16 and on the trip with her father. I thought to myself, what a trooper she is.
My ski partner and his girlfriend took a week off to enjoy some sunshine and climbing in J-Tree so I dont have quite the quality photos that Victor is often able to capture.
As we pulled into the Paradise parking lot, I ran into Amar gearing up. I introduced him and he joined us for our jaunt to Muir with hopes of skiing the Nisqually Chutes.
We toured up toward Panorama Point, the sun slowly baking the snow while the absence of wind and aroma of sunscreen had my mind drifting toward thoughts of summertime.
Above Panorama Point, the snow became the usual crust as we meandered through rocks covered in wind swept rime and snow.
At roughly nine thousand feet, maybe sooner, the wind began its lashing. It did not let up. I hunkered beneath my hood as I continued along, attempting to shade my cheeks from the numbing cold.
Once we reached Muir, we quickly snapped the obligatory photos, geared up and descended in hopes to warm up and find some relief from the wind further below.
Crusty, breakable snow quickly became pockets of powder inducing smiles and shrills of joy.
As we neared the top of the chutes we found crusty conditions and decided to forgo the chutes for another time.
In Edith Creek Basin we passed a Denali prep course headed up the mountain for an 8 day excursion; one of the clients was a young woman. I stopped for a moment watching them drudge slowly up the hill with their enormous packs, toting sleds.
As I began to ski again I heard my name and stopped to see a friend who was working the trip. I asked him about the young woman and he said she was 16 and on the trip with her father. I thought to myself, what a trooper she is.
My ski partner and his girlfriend took a week off to enjoy some sunshine and climbing in J-Tree so I dont have quite the quality photos that Victor is often able to capture.
Thanks for posting the report, Lisa. It was nice to ski with you again, and have some company on what would have otherwise been a solo day for me.
It looks like we skied down just in time, the winds totally went nuts after that:
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
Wind direction likely out
MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Wind
PST F % Min Avg Max Dir
10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
--------------------------------------------------------
3 22 500 15 58 0 0 0 353
3 22 600 15 59 0 2 7 353
3 22 700 17 56 4 7 9 353
3 22 800 23 45 0 2 7 353
3 22 900 18 72 0 10 18 353
3 22 1000 19 71 12 15 19 353
3 22 1100 19 74 12 15 21 353
3 22 1200 19 70 13 18 23 353
3 22 1300 19 64 15 23 34 353
3 22 1400 18 49 32 35 40 353
3 22 1500 18 35 33 41 50 353
3 22 1600 18 46 35 46 57 353
3 22 1700 19 49 40 47 53 353
3 22 1800 18 59 40 47 55 353
3 22 1900 16 64 43 52 59 353
3 22 2000 17 53 46 53 59 353
3 22 2100 16 77 48 58 68 353
3 22 2200 17 73 53 61 71 353
3 22 2300 16 75 55 67 79 353
3 23 0 14 33 49 62 74 353
3 23 100 13 40 49 65 79 353
3 23 200 13 80 56 69 84 353
3 23 300 13 94 54 70 87 353
3 23 400 14 94 48 68 88 353
3 23 500 15 96 45 62 79 353
3 23 600 15 96 50 68 80 353
3 23 700 16 95 56 70 86 353
3 23 800 17 96 67 79 91 353
3 23 900 18 96 69 85 100 353
3 23 1000 17 96 82 90 104 353
3 23 1100 17 96 79 95 110 353
3 23 1200 17 96 83 101 118 353
3 23 1300 17 95 86 109 131 353
3 23 1400 14 94 74 100 111 353
3 23 1500 15 94 41 79 98 353
3 23 1600 12 93 51 82 106 353
3 23 1700 10 93 51 79 101 353
3 23 1800 7 91 38 64 83 353
3 23 1900 1 88 34 55 83 353
3 23 2000 -3 87 23 46 60 353
3 23 2100 -1 87 18 32 54 353
3 23 2200 -1 87 24 38 51 353
3 23 2300 -2 87 10 24 35 353
3 24 0 -2 86 5 21 46 353
3 24 100 -3 86 4 15 29 353
3 24 200 -4 86 8 17 28 353
3 24 300 -4 85 3 11 22 353
3 24 400 -4 85 1 5 14 353
The 131 mph gust is the highest recorded at Camp Muir this season, exceeding a 119 mph gust on November 12. But the anemometer has been frozen solid about half the days this winter, so higher winds may have gone unrecorded.
I hope those folks with the huge packs and sleds were well dug in, wherever they camped. I guess they got a real taste of Denali, right here in WA!
It looks like we skied down just in time, the winds totally went nuts after that:
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
Wind direction likely out
MM/DD Hour Temp RH Wind Wind Wind Wind
PST F % Min Avg Max Dir
10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
--------------------------------------------------------
3 22 500 15 58 0 0 0 353
3 22 600 15 59 0 2 7 353
3 22 700 17 56 4 7 9 353
3 22 800 23 45 0 2 7 353
3 22 900 18 72 0 10 18 353
3 22 1000 19 71 12 15 19 353
3 22 1100 19 74 12 15 21 353
3 22 1200 19 70 13 18 23 353
3 22 1300 19 64 15 23 34 353
3 22 1400 18 49 32 35 40 353
3 22 1500 18 35 33 41 50 353
3 22 1600 18 46 35 46 57 353
3 22 1700 19 49 40 47 53 353
3 22 1800 18 59 40 47 55 353
3 22 1900 16 64 43 52 59 353
3 22 2000 17 53 46 53 59 353
3 22 2100 16 77 48 58 68 353
3 22 2200 17 73 53 61 71 353
3 22 2300 16 75 55 67 79 353
3 23 0 14 33 49 62 74 353
3 23 100 13 40 49 65 79 353
3 23 200 13 80 56 69 84 353
3 23 300 13 94 54 70 87 353
3 23 400 14 94 48 68 88 353
3 23 500 15 96 45 62 79 353
3 23 600 15 96 50 68 80 353
3 23 700 16 95 56 70 86 353
3 23 800 17 96 67 79 91 353
3 23 900 18 96 69 85 100 353
3 23 1000 17 96 82 90 104 353
3 23 1100 17 96 79 95 110 353
3 23 1200 17 96 83 101 118 353
3 23 1300 17 95 86 109 131 353
3 23 1400 14 94 74 100 111 353
3 23 1500 15 94 41 79 98 353
3 23 1600 12 93 51 82 106 353
3 23 1700 10 93 51 79 101 353
3 23 1800 7 91 38 64 83 353
3 23 1900 1 88 34 55 83 353
3 23 2000 -3 87 23 46 60 353
3 23 2100 -1 87 18 32 54 353
3 23 2200 -1 87 24 38 51 353
3 23 2300 -2 87 10 24 35 353
3 24 0 -2 86 5 21 46 353
3 24 100 -3 86 4 15 29 353
3 24 200 -4 86 8 17 28 353
3 24 300 -4 85 3 11 22 353
3 24 400 -4 85 1 5 14 353
The 131 mph gust is the highest recorded at Camp Muir this season, exceeding a 119 mph gust on November 12. But the anemometer has been frozen solid about half the days this winter, so higher winds may have gone unrecorded.
I hope those folks with the huge packs and sleds were well dug in, wherever they camped. I guess they got a real taste of Denali, right here in WA!
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