Some perspective on Mt. Rainier...

Here are a few routes along the eastern face...

I will be climbing via the Muir Route, a 3-day climb with 2 nights on the mountain, essentially passing through Camp Muir at around 10,000 ft. To get to Camp Muir from the Paradise Trailhead at the south, we'll likely be ascending the Skyline Trail (in green) until it intersects with Pebble Creek. Once we hit the snow field, there is no 'established trail' and the route becomes more dynamic. We'll head straight up the Muir Snowfield for about 3,000 ft until reaching the rock out-cropping known as Camp Muir; this is merely day one. The next day, we'll set out across Cowlitz Glacier until reaching the next major dividing landmark known as Cathedral Gap. Night two will consist of tents placed somewhere in the vicinity of Ingraham Flats, a relatively 'flat' spot on the Ingraham Glacier. Camp will of course be set up only after a methodical inspection for hidden crevasses has been conducted - this usually consists of a roped-in member probing the snow with his ice axe and then marking the safe territory. Finally summit day starts bright and early at midnight-ish, with another 5-6 hours of steady climbing over to Disappointment Cleaver and up the remaining terrain of the Ingraham Glacier to the Columbia Crest via the Ingraham Headwall or DC variation. Finally, after traversing the crater to the high point at 14,411 ft, we'll make the slow but high-spirited descent in reverse, back through high camp to tear down, then to Camp Muir and finally down the snowfield to Paradise.

Settled on Climb Date & Expedition Group!

I have been considering a few different guide groups to climb Rainier with including Rainier Mountaineering Inc (RMI), Alpine Ascents International (AAI), and International Mountain Guides (IMG), to name a few. I believe I have narrowed my final choice down to Alpine Ascents. I spoke with one of their reps yesterday over the phone and had an awesome conversation. One of the biggest sellers about their group is that on the second day, they go beyond the usual camping spot of Camp Muir and pitch tents higher up at Ingraham Flats (a flatter section before the last 5-hour ascent up Ingraham Glacier. This means that on summit day, even though the start time is just past midnight, they start about 2 hours in front of the other groups, essentially ensuring the first shot at the summit at sunrise.

In the mean time, I have been keeping track of some data for next summer regarding sun and moon phases. For anyone who can't nerd out for a few minutes, I implore you to skip over this lil' entry. Without really knowing how to best narrow down my choices for the climb date, I reached inside my inner-geek self and got down to the minutes, start and end times of the moon and sun patterns for next year. Behold, my plot of sun and moon patterns for Paradise, WA, Summer 2011:

Sun and Moon Patterns - Summer 2011

Now in selecting a date, I figured I would want to climb mid-season when there is still a good amount of snow and the days are longer. Next, I factored in the phase of the moon. Since the final summit day begins at midnight, I am looking for a date when the moon is near full. Now I'm sure we'll still use headlamps, but hiking in full-moonlight is something to be treasured -- In my past endeavors, I've usually gotten by with only the bright moonlight illuminating the trail and the experience is nothing short of awesome! Now comes the trade off. Being out on the south-east side of the mountain, shielded from the major cities, how awesome would it be to have a pitch-black sky so that all the painted clusters of stars can be seen in their complex beauty? That narrows it down to selecting a date that has a waning moon, so that it rises later in the night, allowing for some stargazing just after sunset (which would likely only be possible on the first night, since the sun sets at about 9pm. Now I'm looking for a waning gibbous moon that rises at about 11pm... May 18, June 17, and July 19. Of those dates, June 17 actually occurs on Friday, which works out perfect for a weekend trip that minimizes the deep cut into my two weeks of allotted vacation time for work (ugh).

With that, I think I'm all set to shoot for a June 17-19th climb date. I submitted my paperwork last night to AAI and hopefully I hear back soon :-).

Cheers!


Oct 4, 2010 Update: 
 Yep! Just got my approval packet via email! I shall officially be climbing with Alpine Ascents next June. Hooray :-D. I know I'm foolish in even trying but... any takers?? ::::crickets::::... Didn't think so. I'll have to go bug my cubemate at work ;-) Cheers!

A few words...

An excerpt from AA's Rainier packet...

"Here are some facts about Mount Rainier. Its height is 14,410 feet, making it the fourth highest mountain in the continental United States. Its glaciers hold more snow and ice than the twelve other Cascade volcanoes combined. About two million people visit the mountain every year. In that same year, ten thousand attempt to climb it and a little more than half succeed.
Those are the facts. They don’t begin to tell the story.
 
Mount Rainier occupies a unique place in the culture and lore of the Pacific Northwest. People here develop a personal relationship with the mountain. They call it “my mountain” and when it shrugs off its misty shroud they say “the mountain is out.” People who have lived in the Northwest all their lives still stop and stare when Rainier reveals itself. The moment crackles with the thrill of nature being caught unaware, like seeing an eagle snatch a sockeye from Puget Sound. Mount Rainier is at once the most public symbol of the Pacific Northwest and its most sacred private icon. We look at Rainier and feel love for a mountain. It inspires in us a feeling akin to spiritual awe: reverence, adoration, humility."

- Bruce Barcott