Two-fer
7/31/21
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1412
4
A two-fer, twice as hard as it needed to be.
Highs:
- July and August with one tank of gas.
- met Allison Kahn and friends Tom and Aryea on the hike up. They camped a safe covid distance apart on "Muir Ridge" my name for it.
- in between rain squalls, we all skied about 1000 ft down the West side of the Paradise Saturday afternoon.
- the next morning i foolishly (part of the workout) carried skis up to Muir. It takes me 2 days to go up to Muir in the summer now... one day to hike up and one day to dither at the top, trying to decide if i want to ski through the sun-pits. Pits, yes, not cups. Bigger than a wading pool, smaller than an 8 person hot tub.
- walked down a few hundred feet to near Anvil, then did my best to entertain the hordes by falling on my ass several times, and those hilarious back and forth antics where i almost pitch over the handlebars.
Lows:
- rain off and on all night. Did i mention i was in a bivvy? For fourteen hours? Water management and bladder management kept me occupied...
- running out of water at the bottom of the glacier, with a couple miles to hike.
- pushing myself by trail hiking back to the parking lot...a little extra vert in the hot sun that pretty much cooked me
More highs:
- Skiing the Paradise Glacier alone, the feeling of being a speck on a giant and dangerously beautiful landscape.
- extremely beautiful wildflowers
Beta: the blue ice chokes off at the bottom East. Some scrambling may be necessary by now.
Looking up towards Muir
Scenery from camp
HAHAHA! Bladder Management! One of the TAY problems that can't be mitigated with lighter gear :)
Every camping trip I wrassle with "get up and pee" vs. "I can make it". Nice to see I'm not alone :)
Don, The reality of the "trip" is enjoyable.😀 Your style of writing the trip report is GREAT.
I have learned "Bladder Management" from my urologist.😄
Nice job there Mr. Rusty Knees & Co. As the snow gets firmer, shorter, and steeper, the falls get ouch-ier.
I'm getting concerned about August turns but will look at Bagley or OP.
Re: Bladder Management
Ziploc bags are your friend.
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