Muir 4/13

[Norman_Clyde]

Went to Muir yesterday with Terry McClain. We had made a plan weeks ago for a summit attempt this weekend, my schedule unfortunately not allowing me to take days off on short notice. For weeks the prospects even for Muir have mostly not been good. We ruled out a Saturday departure based on the forecast, but decided we might have good enough weather on Sunday to get to Muir at least. I awoke Sunday AM in Seattle to the heaviest rain I have seen in more than a month. I almost bagged it, but drove on to Terry's place in Puyallup anyway. We got to the park at 8:30, and were told the gate wouldn't open till 10. It opened at 9:30 and we were heading up by 10:20. It was raining at Longmire, but at Paradise there was only a fairly thin looking cloud layer.

 

There was 4 to 6 inches of new snow at Paradise, which increased on the way up. We went up the ridge crest at Pan Point, dug a pit which showed decent cohesion to the crust layer a foot down. Snow was wet. The clouds parted along the way and we started to get fantastic views. Winds were light, 10 to 20 mph maybe. Walls of cloud would blow through now and then, but it stayed clear until about 8000 feet, at which time a white out descended; not too dense, I could still barely see Terry a hundred yards ahead, but no landmarks or horizon. I was rather horrified at this point to discover I was not wearing my compass after all. Terry kept going, presumably following his GPS, and I was relieved to keep him in sight, to say the least. Snow got deep enough that we were sometimes sinking in a foot, even in snowshoes. Got to the hut at about 2:20.

 

We hung out for about 45 minutes, during which it cleared up again and got a little warmer. The views only improved. There was lots of snow on all the visible routes. We didn't see any slides cut loose, and Gib Chute did not appear to have released recently. On the descent, Pan Point had lots of small wet snowball releases, but nothing bigger. All other parties had gone up the bowl, some zigzagging, so the slope was well tested and didn't release. I'm sure it crusted over last night, so it should stay solid unless there's significant new snow.

 

I have only one gripe about the day: I let my competitive urge get in the way of a good time. I didn't want to admit that Terry was leaving me behind, so I pressed on at maximum output, not stopping to eat. At the hut I was completely wasted, shivering, my furnace needed stoking in a big way, but I had no appetite and could hardly stomach a few fig newtons. I didn't feel normal again until all the way back down to Pan Point. I will hope that I can swallow my pride next time and ask my partner to wait up. Or I could take a few more Muir trips until I'm faster. Or I could go with someone not quite the aerobic monster that Terry is.

[Terry_McClain]

Norman_Clyde summed the trip up pretty well. I'll add that there appears to be a ton of new snow on the upper slopes. I was up to Muir 2 weeks ago and the difference looking at the ramp leading up the Nisqually Ice Cliff is unbelievable. Whoever goes any higher on the mountain in the next week or so will have their work cut out for them. I think it would be a real wallow fest. We passed a team of two that were going to make an attempt if conditions permitted. Hopefully they post a TR.

p.s. Norman_Clyde held up fine, Don't let him full you.