TR Replies

Could anyone describe the route from Randle to the South Climb for me?

Is I-5 > SR 12 > 23? And 23 turns to dirt for part (all?) of the route?

Oh - yah one more question - how long would you estimate it takes to get from Seattle to the South Route going this route? It looks like it would be significantly faster than going south through Portland...

Thanks,
Michael

Jason,
Absolute quality shots, those are sweet - nicely done.
You should think about iStock.com, start makign extra cash to pay for new gear!  :)

Bro,

I thought we were going to call it "Secret Peak"....

...great photos!

CO'

Yes it was a great trip with excellent snow and convivial company.  We'll have to make it an annual event

The headwall is in absolutely ripper condition, just not at 4:30 in the afternoon when the sun has set on it and the surface of the snow has already refrozen.  I skied about a dozen turns of it, decided it wasn't that enjoyable, then returned to the summit and skied the Boulder.

Something about not starting from the 2,700' trailhead until 7am... but that's a different can of worms!

THANKS for playing stupid just to get me all excited.  Your ploy is...

we were up there yesterday and I've got to tell you that I've never seen the snowfield in such good condition. Hardly any suncups or runnels - weird, just the opposite of what we had experienced on Mt Ruth last weekend - and the hard freeze the night before made for some great corn. We skied the chute then climbed back to McClure Rock and skied the backside to Edith Creek. We managed continuous snow all the way to the parking lot except for one small patch of dirt at the top of Edith C...

This link to my photo site will provide a few more photos in larger format  http://gallery.telemen.ca/main.php?g2_itemId=1953

Enjoy,

Bob

Stellar Photos !!

HEY don't let my pathologies get you down!  I have a severe fetish for the rare volcano lines that drop from their summits without neverending mellow, rolling slopes before the bidness.

author=IandI link=topic=5007.msg21149#msg21149 date=1151519222]
But who's the dude "rowing the boat?"  :D

I don't get it...rowing the boat?  Are you referring to Jason and Josh's chronic double pole plants?  Or maybe the parking lot hockey? ???

Good to hear about someone doing the Watson Traverse including the Park Headwall!  That seems like the most aesthetically pleasing up-and-over on the Baker's horn.

ah yes, username...we are ALL in that great summit photo. I'm the one in the blue helmet :)

As for skiing the interglacier, it's still worth the trip, but be careful.  It's starting to open up a bit.  It also gets pretty sloppy quickly, so hit it early before the sun bakes it.

have fun!
~L

How was the skiing on the Interglacier? Is it still a worthwhile destination? I'm thinking of heading up there on Sunday for a one day outing...
  Richard

Here are a few photos:

Thanks Michael.  Yes, a few four letter words were involved, followed by the the 3 letter word, Joe. ;D  Fortunately we didn't leave any body parts on the mountain, just a boot buckle and a few ski straps entangled in the shrubery.

Perhaps we are both here in this photo, on the front page of Gauthier's Rainier blog:

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1016/3057/1600/Skiers%20on%20Summit.jpg
http://www.mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/

No problems walking out Bachelor and Downey other than the usual (long ways!).  Once you leave the little hanging valley beyond Cub Lake you walk through a pick up stick forest of avalanche debris to pick up the trail in the woods again.  It's much easier to follow coming down than going up!

Nice film! You forced me to buy the sound track.

I love long walks in the Park (HW) 8)

Did you exit the traverse via Bachelor & Downey Creeks & the Suiattle River Road?  I thought that there are bridges out on both the trail and the road that make this impassable right now---or so the Forest Service claims.

Thanks

Nice TR Paul and great pictures.

The skis definitely deserve a "+" marking for the BW - so I take it you used quite a few four letter words? ;-)

Nice trip you guys.  You certainly brought the good weather with you.
Way to knock out a volcano road trip.
Nick, I got your message about joining you for a ski on Rainier.  Unfortunately I was on Adams when you left it or I would have joined you. 
I didn't get the message until my return on Monday.  Next time, eh?

Thanks a lot you guys for the information.  Much appreciated.

--Scott

I would say you could go very light given the conditions.  I would get a good map/compass or gps to zero in on the trail in the trees if you haven't been up there before.

The climbers trail up is pretty pedestrian up to the col. 

There are crevasse issues, but I should have left my axe and other things at home and just taken the whippet/helmet/skis.

Hm, well I only see one set of tracks on that side in that photo, those being made by the skier.  So unless I didn't leave any tracks... (oddly I don't remember hucking that big, but I guess I could have been a little out of it.  ;D)