[TR] Tahoma / Mt. Rainier - Gibraltar Ledges 03/13/2021

[manninjo 26]

Trip: Tahoma / Mt. Rainier - Gibraltar Ledges

Trip Date: 03/13/2021

Trip Report:

@aikidjoe and I hiked / climbed Gibraltar Ledges on Saturday, March 13th. Left the parking lot Friday evening about 5:30pm and returned about the same time Saturday.

Skinned to Muir with a great track(s) and easy snow conditions.

Had our fingers crossed that the hut would be open - alas, four to six folks had set up in there.

Given we're not done with the plague quite yet, we elected to dig a little double-wide snow coffin and settle in for an open bivy. Thankfully the wind was light and our 20 degree bags were sufficient.

I want to thank the gentleman who came out of the hut and insisted we stay in there, the gesture was appreciated! We felt good sleeping out despite the insistence that there was 'no covid' in the hut. 

After a solid 6+ hour sleep, we left Muir about 6am. A superb bootpack led all the way up to, across, and out of the ledges. Roped up at the shoulder of Gib Rock (~12,500),  shortly after Joseph put his whole left leg in a hidden crack.

Wands on the upper mountain were helpful in navigating crevasses and led pretty nicely to the top. We ran into three skiers who got to enjoy some chalky, not really icy snow on the upper mountain. There was also one set of ski tracks in Gib Chute which appeared to be in great shape. 

Looking down the Ingraham, it was clear no one was descending that way and getting down it would be a pain with how broken up the glacier was. 

We hit the summit crater about noon and decided to call that good, based on having to re-cross the ledges in the afternoon sun, as well as some threatening clouds gathering on the other side of the summit zone. 

Descending was made easier by whoever left the wands up there. Not to let Joseph be outdone, I also managed to put a whole leg in a crack that was thinly covered by some wind transported snow. 

Getting back across the ledges after noon was a tad stressful, fortunately no rockfall occurred on the way through. 

The nice snow we had skinning up the night before had transformed into a crusty nightmare just below Muir. It got softer and more consistent by Pan Face, which made for some fun turns on tired legs. 

No trip to Rainier is complete without a wildlife sighting - this parking lot fox was pretty tame and hardly wild. 

Can't believe it had been almost 4 years since my last time up Rainier, almost forgot how much fun the slog can be! It helps to have great weather, a solid partner, and nice folks ahead to break all the trail. 

To paraphrase a dear friend, the mark of a good weekend is whether or not one's soul was refreshed. By that measure, it was certainly a soul refreshing weekend. Spring is here and the mountains are calling!

Gear Notes:
60m skinny cord, glacier gear, sunscreen, warm layers, splitboard w/ ski boots

Approach Notes:
Well established trail all the way

[JasonG 508]

Nice work guys!  Sounded almost casual, considering you're talking winter up there. The descent of the Ingraham can be quite nerve wracking in the winter, so I think you made a good call in reversing course.

[Alisse 120]

Dang @manninjo you forgot to tell me about you guys going quarter-spelunking in crevasses up there. 😬 

Glad your soul was refreshed 😊

Edited March 16 by Alisse

[Stefan 13]

Like seeing smiles on trips!  Good on you!

 

[olyclimber 132]

Sorry, my dog got loose again 

[Alex789 14]

Nice work!
I'm glad our bootpack and wands were useful