ScaredSilly

Park your car facing the sun. Put a sun shower in the front dash. It will be nice warm once you return in afternoon. Strip down and go for it in the parking lot - tourist love that shit.

Damn, Matt that picture hit home. I was just telling my wife about all of us meeting up in Chamonix for a session of beers, burgers, and bull shitting. Truly a sad day. Prost Jack. Allen

The purpose of wands is often not so much to mark where you have been and need to go but also to mark cracks. A GPS is of little use when it comes to cracks. Walking between two way points may just dump yer butt in a hole. While GPS have their uses learning to utilize all forms of navigation is best. As for the length for wands - it all depends on their intended purposes. The longer the time frame and the softer the snow the longer they should be. Three feet is a good length for most. Stick a foot into the snow leaving two feet exposed.

Check with rangers but I think it would be perfectly acceptable to leave a small cache at Muir (perhaps in the shelter) for a a few days. Make sure you have your name and date on it. BTW cache robbing in great fun on Aconcagua where lots of caches get left :-). As said, and why I suggested Sunrise is about the highest you are going to get while driving in the Park.

If you have 4-5 days I would suggest like others, hike up Mt Adams. Except I would suggest that afterwards relax and do some hikes around St. Helens or Rainier. And what the hell play tourist, which is why I suggested Sunrise which will give you views on the north side of the park and gives you easy access back to Seattle to pick up your climbing partners.

Take a bivy sac - either way you will be happy to have whether in the shelter or not.

How many days do you have? Most take two days to do Adams via the south side. Though I know some who have run up it a couple- three hours. Add in a rest day and you need three days. I would suggest some other day hikes around Rainier that would get you up high - especially if you have go pick up your partners back in Seattle. If that is the case think about a hike to Camp Sherman or St Elmo's Pass on the north side. Even something around Sunrise might be good. One suggestion for the trip to Muir. While technically verboten, think about bivying on the sly around Paradise the night before. Even a night at 4500 feet will make the hike to Muir easier when coming from sea level.

Careful you have not seen Sobo's hip flask: http://www.combathunting.com/FLASKS_THERMOS-64oz_Liquor_Flask_Hip_Flask.html

Another story of a surprise at the summit: http://books.google.com/books?id=c-8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=mt.+rainier+wife+lawn+chair+surprize&source=bl&ots=vw8hAPxT8_&sig=IYkgHCn5mZK7x2rpIEOFVLlb-4w&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ptgMT5zOLvDisQLNwv2GBg&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=mt.%20rainier%20wife%20lawn%20chair%20surprize&f=false

My dyslexia kicked in - it should have ben "Revealed"

Anyone who knows Mt. Hood stories knows about this little prank. http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2012/01/a_quirkly_little_mystery_from.html

Way OT but when I first glanced at the title I thought it said "goats and dreams" and thought what the hell?? Okay my goal ... get my eyes checked again obviously my bifocals are not working. Oh and may be climb some thing classic like the Chouinard-Becky or Liberty Bell.

FWIW ... when soloing big I tend to avoid routes with cracks. There are several such routes on Rainier. Of course the one time when in South American when climbing solo at over 6000m I went across a bridge on my ascent that promptly collapsed after I crossed it. My first thought was not shit that was close but shit how am I going to get around the crack on the descent (by crossing a equalling crappy bridge).

The conventional reason one starts early in the morning is because: 1a) The snow gets sloppy as the day progresses. The classic fubar is descending Cooper's Spur on Hood. 1b) Thunder storms. The classic is the Grand Teton lightning strikes. 2) If it takes longer than you think you have more daylight while you are tired versus being in the dark and tired. 3) Weekend warrior - get to high camp Saturday, summit on Sunday, descend, and drive home. 4) If on a heavily used guided route - to get in front of the guides. For me personally, the last decade plus for Rainier trips (Curtis, Ptarmigan, Mowich, Willis, DC, Kautz, Furher) I would say our earliest start was about 3am (DC from Ing. Flats) and our latest 6am (Kautz). Last summer we were lucky to roll out of the tent by 6am during our tour de force week long trips up Rainier, Adams, and Hood. It worked out fine for us but we knew what we were getting ourselves into.

The Laser is thinner than the Titan so better sticks in some ice. Otherwise they are the same albeit the tip shape. The Fusion has more teeth. Me I would just get the Titan and file to get the point I want then go bang them around on the ice.

Ice hopper you are weak, you are not worthy of Cobras, you must be one with the tool. "To suppress a truth is to give it force beyond endurance." — Master Kan Put the wrench on at a shallow angle relative to the pick and give it a good thump on some solid like a rock or yer partner's head. That will typically loosen the bolt up.

Slight nit - I did not say there were no crevasses, there are, just that they were not a problem when traversing back from the South Side to Cooper's Spur. The first time I when through in Oct there were cracks but they were not significant. When we went through in early July we did not cross any. Also the traverse starts high around 9400'-9200' and finally regaining the Spur at around 7500' or so. Someone doing the same from T-line is apt to be lower thus could run into crevasses issues lower down as they gain altitude on the approach. I did not mean to go around then up the up the Spur. But when coming from Newton Clark one is coming in perpendicular to the spur. Depending on where one gains the spur the glacier is may be 200-300 vertical feet below Spur. So to gain it one needs to climb up the side of the spur. Then as you say traverse over if high enough or drop down to the Elliot.

A- I have gone around the hill a couple of times, but only to get back to Cloud Cap. Crossing the Newton Clark is pretty straight forward and both times (mid October and early July) I have done it crevasses were not an issue. In fact, both times were done sans rope, the first time actually solo. However, if coming round to get on to the Elliot one needs to ascend up the Spur and then turn around and lose it again.

I have done multiple V-threads sans a sling. After the first person raps I run the rope back and forth a bit then have the person at the bottom do the same. One thing that helps is being able to judge the ice strength - the stronger the ice the greater the angle thus less bend and easier to pull.

Anastasia - my wish for you in 2012 is have a climb without being it a near epic :-).

I hate it when my knob won't fold over and sticks out. Try a little penetrating oil. More seriously, It probably got water/mineral in the joint. Soak it is a little Lime-a-way or 4:1 vinegar solution. Then use a little lube.

Do not get the state wide guide put out by Falcon. Lots of mistakes. Get the local guides. Watts' book is quite good.

There are no typical conditions in May on Rainier. It can go from blue bird to shit hitting the fan and running home to mommy. That is typical. Planning from Muir is a good choice for a first trip especially if there are nasty winds as one can retreat in to the shelter. Make sure you know the way down from Muir to Paradise I know of several people who have taken the long way down via the Nisqualy.

EMC is on the northeast side, the bowling alley is on the west. The crux is gaining the pinnacle. Be very cautious about avy danger - the NE side is very well known for ripping out and going wall to wall.

The article does not contradicts itself - the victim APPEARED dead. Thus why they did not drop into area. Appearances can be deceiving.