glennm

The chutes going down from about 8200' on the Muir snowfield to the Nisqually are some of my favorite easy access skiing. I'd appreciate any recommendations on similar terrain for day trips.

I asked a ranger about this once and he stated that dogs serve as carriers for some viruses that could be harmful to animals native to the park. I didn't buy this at all so I asked my veterinarian who said this was true. Not clear if policy has anthing to do with this.

Any feedback on current conditions of the route or the approach from White river would be appreciated. Thanks!

I've got a few screws which hit pebbles in glacial ice and now have bent teeth. Any advice on how to best restore them would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'm pondering a ski descent of the Succes Glacier Couloirs next weekend. If anybody has prior experience on this part of the mountain, feedback would be appreciated.

I've skied the Kautz and the Finger- both are sweet in good snow. I'd pick the Finger as a less risky descent. Have you thought of the Success Glacier Couloirs or routes over that way?

I try to go for less crowded routes or winter climbs. I was simply raising an issue and wondering what others thought.

So, the weather breaks on Friday night and you call your partner to climb Rainier on sat ,but upon arriving at the ranger station you find all spots at high camp are taken. Does this increase the chances you'll try for a one day push even if this is outside of the realm of safety for you? Do you try to climb to high camp anyway finding it near deserted because half the people who reserved spots in advance by phone changed thier plans without letting the rangers know? Would this piss you off? Or, having anticipated permitting problems, do you reserve a high camp spot in advance, and push on anyway in marginally safe weather/snow conditions because you know you might not get a spot on another weekend? Does the current system rob us of the opportunity to climb spontaneously? Whatcha think? Aside from any good the current system may do , I think that tourist vehicles leaking oil and belching exhaust impact the wilderness more than a wise climber on snow. Why not limit access to the park at the gate rather than at the ranger station and let everyone shoulder the weight of keeping the impact of visitors down? Whatcha think?

I have to disagree that it was foolhardy for Griber to go for his snowboard for descent even though he was on very extreme terrain. There are several other considerations to factor in. 1)The speed with which he felt he could descend on his board is a safety consideration. 2)In a state of near exhaustion, Griber may have felt more stable on his board -for him this may have been a better choice than risking the chance of catching a crampon downclimbing. 3)Sure, extreme skiing has its "you fall , you die " aspects, but let us not fool ourselves. A goof on WI3 could just as easily be a deadly fall, as could a fall on 5.7 rock- who expects it to happpen, but it does. And what if the screw or nut placement does not hold, or if you are impaled on your tool, or pro holds but you sustain a spinal or closed head injury, even with a helmet(happens)? Even a well roped team on a routine glacier crossing can risks serious injury/death if a climber takes a big one into a crevasse(rare, but happens). My point is, even within our personal "limits" and well within the limits of safe climbing practices, the line between safety and catastrophe can be far narrower than one thinks. To me, extreme skiing/climbing often means someone with more talent than me who put in more time and effort than me has the judgement to do things within their margin of safety that would kill me if I tried. I dunno. The deaths on St. Elias were a tragedy indeed. There is nothing glorious about dying or losing one's companions.

No ice, it was a short "steep" snow section at the time. It was an easy walk down because of good snow and moderate steepness.

Climbed Gib Ledges with my friend River on April 1st and 2nd. Approach was in the clouds and sleet until approx. 8000' on the snowfield, then clear. The wind picked up to the point taht I could swear the hut was shaking through the night. Up at 1AM then back to sleep until 3 AM- too much wind. On the road by 4:30 AM- light wind, good snow (for a few minutes) quickly followed by relentless blasts of winds lastin until about 4 or 5 PM which at times knocked us off our feet. Made slow progress due to wind, but otherwise a beautiful day with nobody else on the mountain.Must add- the snow on the Ledge portion of the route seemed kind of rotten, more so than we expected this time of year.Had the odd experience of punching through into the steam caves while crossing the crater to the true summit. Downclimbing is my least favorite experience- really wished I'd had skis. I noticed very little in the way of open slots, and the Gib Chute looked as though it had softened up nicely by early afternoon, although I imagine it would have been good snow anytime of day conditions being what they were. Came down the snowfield at sunset- really one of the nicest parts of the trip. There was only one other person to be seen- Muir snowfield is a pretty cool place when its empty on a suny day.

Gotta add my two cents. I've heard all the standard garbage about the Mountaineers, and little seems to carry much weight in my mind. It did make me think about the following: 1) There is not a lot of testosterone generated by a dedication to safety- I supose this bothers some people. 2)There are Mountaineers who talk more than they climb, and Mountaineers that have climbing skills I can only dream of. I can't imagine why anyone would care. 3)Ever notice how most of the crowds on Rainier are not really members of the Mountaineers? 4) Ever notice how when help is needed how many members of Mountain Rescue are members of and trained by the Mountaineers? 5)Ever notice who has published most of the NW trail and climbing guides over the years? That would be the Mountaineers, right? 6)I can't believe I'm wasting my time here- I would love to end with some well directed sarcasm, but out of respect for Steve, I suppose it's more appropriate to give it a rest.

Of course, there's some satisfaction to skiing chracter building snow. And if you run it out to the bridge it's a hoot.

I was up as far as the Guye Snoquakmie saddle in very deep powder about a week and a half ago- too slow going in too deep snow w/ too much avy danger- great tree skiing on the way out. Should be nice pretty soon as the snowpack setles I'd imagine.

I passed someone descending with one randonee ski on Sunday- must have been the infamous lost ski noted above.