Seattle weather != mount rainier weather?

[greystar]

Hi there!

I'm so glad I finally found a board that has a community of local knowledgable people about mt. Rainier. I was wondering if anybody could be so kind and answer two questions for me. After 4 years of staring at the mountain from UW campus, my buddy and I finally decided to go there next week right after graduation. we're heading to the mountain on monday, and then we'll try to hike to camp Muir on tuesday morning. I'm wondering that:

 

1. the weather forecast says it'll be rainy in seattle all the way through next week, if it's raining in Seattle does it mean the weather in the mountains will be dangerous to hike to camp Muir? I've been checking on the webcam in Paradise and it's looking foggy and overcast these past few days, I guess that's the condition I should be expecting for early next week?

 

2. this has nothing to do with climbing whatsoever, but I honestly can't find an answer after searching through countless websites with google. has anybody ever driven from Carbon River/Spray Park area down to Paradise before? We're planning on hiking to camp muir on the 2nd day, but on the 1st day we wanted to visit the spray park area first and we are trying to figure out how long it'd take from there to paradise so we can plan how far we should hike accordingly.

 

any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

[slothrop]

1. If it's raining in Seattle, it's probably raining or snowing at Paradise. That said, check the mountain weather forecasts before you go. And go anyway. If you have done any bad-weather hiking and know when to turn around, you'll be OK. Bring a compass or GPS and ask the rangers for the compass bearings up to (and more importantly, back from) Camp Muir. These are also printed in Mike Gauthier's Rainier guidebook, I believe.

 

2. It's kind of a long drive, since you have to go back around the west side of the park to get from Mowich Lake trailhead to Paradise. I dunno, 2 hours?

 

Have fun!

[sweatinoutliquor]

2. Plan on at least 2 hours, maybe more depending on what kind of driver you are (probably more like 3?) to get from Mowich lake to Paradise. It took us way longer than expected on my last trip (didn't help that we tried a shortcut that f*ed us right in the neck).

[Maestro]

This forecast is usually pretty accurate for the mountain:

 

http://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu/text/forecasts/rec/SXUS46.KSEW

[thelawgoddess]

looks like it's gonna be a tad windy.

[greystar]

thank you for all the comments! that was extremely helpful greatly appreciated!

[Backcountry]

It may be easier to push onto Sunrise than to the Carbon/Ipsut exit.

Drive east from Paradise around thru Cayuse on 123 to Sunrise.

 

Maybe add another day to get from Spray/Mowich to Sunrise???