Muir Snowfield, Mount Rainier WA, 07/18/2017

Summer snow is still available in the PNW.  Spent the day at Mt Rainier with my old lady yesterday.  We had a blast.  The crowd was light (we were the only people with sliding gear), the sky was incredibly blue, the views were amazing, and of course... the snow was soft.  We kept a leisurely pace, and made it to continuous snow within 90 minutes.  We only ascended to 9k, as we found that the snow was beginning to rot above 8.4k (cups, craters, and small runnels).  From there down to Pebble Creek at 7.3 was fairly smooth... Being that is July, we had managed expectations properly.  We expected a bumpy ride, and got something slightly better.  There were decent turns once you spotted your line and found a good rhythm.  On the descent below Pebble Creek, we linked 2 large swaths of snow, making the trip back down to the Visitor Center very quick. (4 hrs up, 45 mins down).

Here are some shots from the day....

Looking North from the Visitor Center


Loaded up & ready to go


The people that bombed this shot thought we were crazy... the one woman was wearing high heals.


The Tatoosh Range with Mt Adams and Goat Rocks in the distance...


About to cross Pebble Creek


Ascending...




Resting...


Descending just above Pebble Creek


Scouting the most efficient swath choice below Pebble Creek


The Final Turn


Partnering with some friends from town for August turns... not sure where yet... it may require an overnighter for the approach.

Superb NEPA. I'm glad you're still getting after it. Will you have skied  every month of the year in 2017 by the time you're done?

Brownski wrote

Superb NEPA. I'm glad you're still getting after it. Will you have skied  every month of the year in 2017 by the time you're done?

Thanks Brownski... Yup, that's the plan.  I have ridden snow up to July since I moved out here in 2010.  This year, I am going to try to start a Streak.  It's going to be a scheduling challenge... family visits are scheduled in August.  The backup plan is going back to Rainier, but I think we are going to try for something a bit more remote.  Currently we are considering a route through the Glacier Peak Wilderness to one of the glaciers in that zone.

When does "local" snow come back into play?

Most excellent..You bring back fond memories..

BOOM

Harvey wrote

When does "local" snow come back into play?

Thanks guys... depending on elevation local snow usually comes into play in late October/November.  Long carries are the norm for August, September, and October turns.  

Nice!  

Jealous.