Rainier, Baker, etc

[nic0las]

Hello PNW outdoor community,

I am planning a trip through the region starting next week around June 8, 2020. im coming up from the south, starting with Shasta, working my way north to Baker, and I'd like to attempt Rainier and a handful of others on the way. If anyone has experience on the DC route, I'm looking to rope up with some folks who would be willing to put up with a pretty fit and determined newbie. 

I'm 32, with a good amount of backpacking experience. JMT, Adirondack 46er with a dozen or so winter summits.  glacier experience limited to guided ascents in the French alps, "Barre Des Ecrins" being the most heavily crevassed and steep terrain I've experienced. Im a slate roofer and carpenter, very comfortable with heights and steep inclines with limited footing, I live in the Adirondacks in upstate NY, good at managing cold. Not hundreds of miles in crampons but enough to own a pair and feel comfortable in most conditions I've researched on the pretty basic routes I'm planning in the cascades. No wilderness first aid, no crevasse rescue, no avalanche training. 

I've been cross training pretty religiously with this volcano trip in mind throughout covid, my intention being to supplement my lack of experience with peak fitness, my weekly routine for April and May has looked like this, increasing weight and intensity where appropriate over the course of the last 8 weeks:

Mondays: 1.5-2 hrs power Yoga + stretching 

Tuesdays: 1hr interval training legs and cardio, heart rate between 70 to 90% of max for the duration (probably the hardest thing I do all week)

Wednesdays: 1 hr upper body strength training, focusing on core and upper body, heart rate 60 to 80% of max 

Thursdays: mountain biking 1600-2000ft gain, 8-12 miles, 1-2 hrs 

Fridays: stretching, day of rest

Saturdays + Sundays: overnight backpacking, 40lb pack, sleeping around 10,000 feet, 10-15 miles both days, 6000 - 9000 ft gains overall. 

last weekend: started Saturday around 300ft in Palm Springs, up 9000ft, 10.3 miles, 7 hrs moving 1hr stopped, av speed 1.5 mph, camped around 9300ft. Day two, 7 peaks @ 10,000'+ : Cornell, Miller, Jacinto (max of the day @ 10800ft), Folly, Drury, Jean, Marion and exited at Idyllwild around 5600ft, 14 miles, 6miles bushwhacking or scrambling, 12 miles on trail, 3000ft of gains, 6300ft loss, 3 summits I was able to do packless. 

weekend before last: started Saturday around 6200ft at Vivian creek, summited 2 peaks: Gorgonio (max of the day @ 11,500') and Jepson, 9 mi total, av speed 1.9 mph, 4h45 min moving 20min stopped, camped above 10,000'. Day two: 7 peaks, little Charlton, Charlton, Shields, Anderson, Alto diablo, San Bernardino East, San Bernardino, 16.5 miles, 2000' up, 7200' down, moving 8hrs stopped 36 min, av speed 2mph. 

call/text me if you are interested in participating in any of the standard PNW volcano climbs 

617 990 6065

Nicolas 

[JasonG]

Due to COVID Mount Rainier is closed above 10k, and you can't drive into the park.  No estimate on re-opening.

https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

JG

[JasonG]

And the weather looks iffy next week, at least up here.

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...After a break on Monday,  
  both the GFS and Euro still show a frontal system arriving for a  
  rainy day on Tuesday. Wednesday would probably see postfrontal  
  showers tapering off for a day or two even as an upper trough nears  
  the area for an increase in showers sometime in the latter part of  
  next week. 19 

[Carbonj]

Just heard climbing on upper mountain might be happening soon.

[Kameron]

Yeah, Rainier summit climbing is supposed to reopen June 19: http://mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/

FYI, it's still ski season on the volcanoes, so be aware that there will be a ton of snow. If you're a backcountry skier, I'd recommend bringing your sticks!

[DPS]

By my reading there will be substantially fewer spots for the DC and Emmons routes this year.