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

[chrsdipietro94@]

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.