Mount Rainier was the next goal for both of us— looking to develop and test our mountaineering skills. With a narrow weather window and a free weekend, we set our sights on the Disappointment Cleaver (DC) route.
Planning and Practice
A key challenge Rainier poses that never occurs in hikes in the Whites is glacier travel. We had both taken glacier travel courses, but certainly needed to refresh and practice these skills. We got in some practice by setting up haul systems and running through glacier rescue scenarios using a tree in Dan’s backyard. Not exactly alpine terrain, but it gave us confidence in the ropework involved for glacier rescues.
Because of other commitments, our only option was to squeeze the climb into a weekend. A few days before our planned hike, we lucked out and snagged a pair of permits for Camp Muir. With a promising forecast for a Sunday summit—clear skies and low winds—we made the call to go for it and started up from Paradise early Saturday morning.
The Hike Up to Muir
The forecast for Paradise called for highs over 70°F, and we were worried the heat would turn the snow into mush by midday. We got an early start around 6am. In the end, the warm snow didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the travel. Perhaps our biggest regret may have been opting to rent and carry snowshoes with us as a precaution (sob).
We made steady progress and reached Camp Muir in about six hours. We were among the first to arrive and managed to grab a spot inside the public shelter. That turned out to be a huge bonus. By mid-afternoon, the wind picked up fast, with gusts reaching up to 88 mph. One group was unlucky and had their tent destroyed and came to join everyone huddled inside the hut. As quickly as the weather got bad, it cleared out, leaving clear skies and little wind.
In the evening the ranger stopped by and had an open discussion with all those attempting to summit the next morning about the current route conditions. A large, active serac on the Ingraham Glacier had been shedding debris across the usual route, creating a no-stop zone across Ingraham Flats. After making dinner we turned in around 8 p.m. to try and get some rest before the big push.
Summit Attempt
We woke at 11:30 pm, getting our final bio breaks and warm beverages in before roping up. We left Muir Camp around 1:10 am and started shuffling across the Cowlitz Glacier along with the many other groups (many guided and unguided). Travel was smooth, the snow firm, and the stars bright. We crossed Cathedral Gap and moved quickly through the exposed serac zone on the Ingraham.
The Disappointment Cleaver itself was our first real challenge. The lower two-thirds were loose rock and dirt that required careful attention with every step. The top third transitioned to firm snow. Rope management was tricky here, as we had to make sure the rope didn’t get snagged on rocks.
Once above the Cleaver, we were into the final push. We were moving slowly now, but the weather held: no wind and clear skies. The sunrise provided a good morale boost and helped us through the last few hundred feet of vertical gain.
Eventually, to our surprise, we crested the crater rim. We dropped our packs and rested for a few minutes inside the crater. Then we made the final walk to Columbia Crest—the true summit of Rainier. This took a bit over 6 hours since leaving Muir Camp.
A Long Descent
We descended slightly faster getting back to Camp Muir in about 4 hours, marvelling at much of the landscape we did not notice as our ascent was mostly in the dark. The serac icefall debris around Ingraham Flats was much clearer, and we were thankful conditions held and we did not have to worry about school bus-sized chunks of ice potentially crushing us. Getting back to Camp Muir, we took a short nap and cleaned up our things before heading back to Paradise.
The descent to Paradise was a big of a slog. By now, the snow was quite mushy and our packs were once again fully loaded as we were on the heavy and overprepared side in terms of weight and gear. We looked with envy at all the backcountry skiers gliding past us. Thankfully, we would encounter sections of nice, prime-quality butt sledding to relieve us of being on our feet. Some care was needed to make sure we didn’t descend into the wrong gullies higher up. At Panorama point midway along our descent, the guides had helped dig and solidify a very smooth and speedy section of glissading which was much appreciated. 2.5 hours of butt sledding and mashed potatoes later, we finally reached Paradise and thankful to have gotten off mountain safely.
Post trip
We slowly shuffled to our car and began a gear shuffle, separating things going back to Cambridge while Dan remained in the area for the summer. We enjoyed a post hike watermelon (because hydration is important) and stopped by Wildberry Restaurant (owned by Nepalese climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa who holds the Everest summit time record) for a hearty dinner. We rushed back towards the Seattle area, so Ethan could catch his flight and discussed the age old question of how early should one arrive for a flight.
Thanks to MITOC and the Collier Adventure Grant for helping make this trip possible! Dan and Ethan learned many of the skills that served as the foundation of this adventure through our various MITOC activities and trips, between programs like Winter School and School of Rock. Adventures with the MITOC community have helped us develop these skills and gain more confidence in safely and adventurously exploring the mountains.
