ScaredSilly

The numbers are for people attempting the routes ... not necessarily those who were successful.

I looked at pictures from when we did it the ~1 July 2016 and the conditions look to be about the same. That seemed to be a normal year. So I would say conditions are a month ahead.

Did anyone else look at the photos posted by the NPS? It looks to me that they might have hunkered down in a crevasse as there is no sign of them in the photos.

The ridge is how I like my martinis, dry.

¡Ay, caramba! I can remember topping out on Ptarmigan in similar conditions. We got our tent set up in one of the flat areas below Liberty Cap and hunkered down for the night. Got up in the morning to continued wicked winds but clear weather. We got the hell up Liberty Cap and down the Emmons. I remember walking into Sherman, with folks thinking we were bad azz hard men when we said we spend the night on top. People had lost tents that night at Sherman. We got something to to drink and eat and then went down the Whintrop and back to Ipsut Creek.

One small data point, when we were on Liberty Ridge 30 years ago. We were the first of three parties to arrive at Thumb Rock for the night. That was a Saturday night.

I think the recent accident at Thumb Rock and the avalanche in 2014 are more of wrong place wrong time accidents rather due to seasonal / climatic changes. Thumb Rock is conglomerated mud and it is hard to predict when it might crumble. The same for the seracs that avalanched. Being acclimate and fit is still no guarantee ala the accident on Howse Peak this winter.

Nice ...

Years ago before the permits and shit show we skied up one March. The ski up was fine, but we walked down cause it was so icy. My friend brought his dog who was having a hard time with the ice as well. Several times she went sliding down.

Yes, I do realize that the OP is a new to glaciers, but walking across the Nisqually and looking up 7k feet is way more impressive and exciting than the Emmons. I distinctly remember that from my first couple of trips to Rainier and even 25 years later it was just as impressive.

I have come down the DC and Emmons a bunch. I would not want to go up the Emmons as it is one big seemingly never ending slog. The DC is a cattle trail. I would not want to spend a bunch of time on either routes because of all the people. I would go to the Kautz, there is some objective danger but no different than the DC. It takes about a minute to cross under the serac. Traveling up to the high camp requires glacier skills (crevasses) on the first day whereas that is not the case for the DC and Emmons. There are good camps with views that are not crowded. One can easily take two days to get to high camp and enjoy themselves while doing some skills along the way. The can be some ice on the Kautz, many think they need two tools but a competent person can do it with one. The first step is actually close enough to the high camp one could go up to it for a bit of practice. Earlier in the season it will be snow. The time to for it is mid-June to mid-July. Later the upper part of the route get lots of sun cups. I would also check out the courses on Baker by AAI. We ran into a couple of folks doing a course over 6 days and they were having a good time.

Nice perseverance, but you were not in powder but Cascade Cement :-)

Thanks I ended up watching it. Not bad. I did not know and forgot about few parts. There was some good images - all scenery though. More for the climbing crowd than the general public.

Nice job, great write up, and great photos.

Second that except more like 25 years for my Swallow.