Mount Rainier

Summitted Mt. Rainier with three friends, via the Emmons Glacier route, after spending two days holed up at Schurman Camp by high winds and periodic whiteouts. The weather on summit day was absolutely spectacular!!! Skies were clear and the winds were light to moderate. The route at this time is very straight forward, straight up the glacier to the bergshrund and then right to a snow bridge, then up to the summit crater. The route was amazingly un-crevassed, but these conditions will change as warmer weather melts the overlying snow pack. Early morning snow conditions were perfect for cramponing, however by late morning and early afternoon crampons were a definite drawback as the wet snow balled between the crampon teeth and increased the risk of falling. Our early morning acent up "the Corridor" was greeted by a erie, yet spectacular, waning red crecent moon rising in the east. It turned out to be a good omen as our group, and another group of two climbers, summitted and returned to camp safely.