sgraepel

Thank you--I appreciate that.

I believe it - we simply couldn't see what was below Ptarmigan through the mist. Puyallup was super icy, though and the the normal route off at 9700 is probably now no longer (corniced up top, completely rotted out at the base). You have to climb past 10,000 and then scurry down a shit chute rolling out into crevasses. Or drop way below 7,000 and pot around at nearly tree-level.

Trip: Rainier - High Orbit; april 2015 Date: 4/21/2015 Trip Report: I posted an April trip on Rainier's High Orbit on Gear Junkie. You can read it here: http://gearjunkie.com/high-orbit-gear-junkie-tackles-rainiers-hidden-route This was fairly non-tech report but shoot me a line if you want more beta. Gear Notes: Standard skimo kit. Approach Notes: Wednesday. Skied from the Paradise lot to Camp Muir Thursday. Side-stepped for nine hours down Emmons to Camp Schurman Friday. Skied across the Carbon and Russell glaciers to Observation Point Saturday. Down-climbed Ptarmigan Ridge via RMI route, then skied the Puyallup Sunday. Icy ski up Puyallup, down climbed to the S. Tahoma, camped on Van Trumps Monday. High-tailed it down the Wilson and to the parking lot

For the climbs you mentioned, I might also recommend LS Trango Cube. Its super light (under 3# for the pair), waterproof, and really comfortable - wider than their trail runners. But - do note they are not full shank and do not have a toe welt. But again, for the routes you are looking at, you may not need it. For a deeper review, you can see my review on Gear Junkie: http://gearjunkie.com/la-sportiva-trango-cube-gtx-review And for REI, just order them online and return what you didn't like. No fuss. Good customer service w/o the clerk BS.

Ptarmigan looked good! Curtis was plastered on the schurman side, looked like runnels connected the ledges on the carbon side. Though I'm not entirely dialed with the Curtis route.

A pair of us just wrapped the high orbit around Rainier. Looking up at Liberty Ridge, we observed significant debris washed over the upper slopes beneath the summit.

Green Bibler I-tent for sale. Old school out of Todd's factory (prior to BD). So its about 10 years old. Asking $175. Questions, photos, etc? Feel free to send me a note at sgraepel at gmail.com. Cheers - SG

Does anybody have beta on Goodell Creek conditions? Sweepers, precipitously small, rocky and overgrown with brush, open with sandy bars etc...I'm entertaining the idea of dropping off Picket pass to the West, catching the creek and floating it back to the HWY. THX - Steve