dlofgren

What exactly are the "few things" that you feel you would brush up on? And what exactly do you mean by "brush up"? If it's just you and your partner on the mountain, and he goes in a hole, what exactly are you going to do? If you don't know the "exactly" yet, don't go until you do. Duchess is right; it's bad etiquette at best. Really ugly at worst.

Last summer the gate at Mowich didn't open until the weekend AFTER the 4th of July weekend, even though the road to the lake had been snow-free for quite a while! Grrrr! Never did hear a rational explanation. Hope it's different this summer; it's nice to drive to 5,000'. But, even if the gate is still closed, it's only about four miles from the gate to the lake, taking the shortcuts. I would think that it would still be better than other options, except for the transportation issue.

Thanks for the report. I can identify with the breakable crust on the Finger; it was knee-deep when we did it, accompanied by a stiff breeze, the gusts of which would knock us into the hill. Exhausting. Any rocks coming down when you were there? BDS

griz, you're right. I just picked up on his comment: "I don't mind the heavy load if I'm only climbing 2,000 feet a day. I'd be happy to spend 4 days getting to the top and a least 2 getting down. I like the idea of acclimatizing a little each day. The climbing would be easier and I'd have the luxury of having shelter, stove, food, etc. with me" and thought that my suggestion might be a way for a guy from Florida to accomplish his goal of acclimatizing and at the same time maximize his limited time on The Mountain all, without the risk of being caught by bad weather in a higher-than-normal camp.

Thought about this for a while: I don't know your skill level, but if you're ok with 40 degree hard snow and have a few days to play around on Rainier to get used to the altitude you might try this - hike in to the Turtle, (9,400')and camp there. The next day climb the Finger to the top of Wapowety Cleaver (11,800?') and descend the Kautz back to camp. Next day climb the Wilson Headwall to the same destination and back down the Kautz. Third day climb the Kautz all the way to the summit. You will have done three "routes" that are reasonably different from each other, camped low enough to be comfortable/enjoyable/protected, and had enough time/altitude to be prepped for the summit with a light(er) pack. Condition your evaluation of such advice by the fact that I've never heard of anyone actually doing it this way. However, my experience on all three routes would lead me to believe that it would work and you would enjoy it and accomplish your goals. What do others think? BDS

"Technicolor yodel" Cute. Reminds me of the red splotch I left on the ID last Sunday - mixture of cherry Powerade and undigested granny bar. Looked like fresh roadkill. Back to the thread: can anyone think of something appealing to eat at 10 grand or above that isn't loaded with fat? Pizza? Sausage? Sheesh, I couldn't even drink water without gagging. BTW -- what is a "40" of "OE"? BDS

Thanks for the pics. Did you happen to look for a way through the Nisqually Icefall or the Nisqually Cleaver routes? It's hard to see clearly from the angle of the shots. BDS

MD Don't let the 48-hour thing stop you from trying to partner up. That's about the max lead time that the weather & conditions will give you in April anyway. Try posting again when you get into town; you may latch onto a team & good weather at the same time! Good luck. B.D.S.

Mark: Great TR; you really extended yourself, and succeeded. My helmet is off to you! I've tried to ski down from Muir several times; had a good time once; misery every other time. You're normal. Have a good summer of summits. B.D.S.

If you don't hook up with a partner for the entire trip, you might think about hanging out at Muir for three or four days and tag on to a team to summit from there. Then do the same at Schurman. It's done more frequently than you might think. Be prepared to ask good questions, especially at Muir, because it's accessible to too many nut cases. Also, give honest answers when a team asks you questions. That said, my experience doing it has been good -- two summits and several new friends made. Be careful and have fun. B.D.S.

Who was it who said something to the effect: "Mountaineering is hour after hour of sheer drudgery punctuated by moments of sheer terror!"