gate above longmire

[chesterboo]

Does anybody know what time it will open on Monday morning?

Looking to get early start on Lane Peak. thanks

[Chad_A]

http://mountrainieraccess.blogspot.com/

[chesterboo]

thanks vw. I looked at the blog site and it said 7 or 8 am. I called the park service and they said 9am is what you can expect. I am not sure that they say 9am just so people won't get upset at closed gate or what. Has anybody been up lately and have experience when gate opens?

[Phantom]

Does anybody know if the parking lot at Narada Falls has been plowed or is do-able with 4wheel drive? If it's not buried in snow, the NPS said we can park there overnight. So if you get thru the gate before 6pm, you could bivy somewhere near the lot then be able to get a very early start on Lane. I spoke with NPS at Rainier and he had no idea of the condition of that parking lot.

[AlpinistAndrew]

The parking lot is plowed and has tons of spaces to park, for both overnight and day parking. The road up to Narada Falls parking area is plowed as well. Both times I have been up there in the last week or so the road was bone dry.

[Phantom]

many thanks for the parking lot beta AlpinistAndrew

[Phantom]

AlpinistAndrew and others,

anyone have any recent beta on Lane peak ? - snow conditions on the north side couloirs and snow on the south side (need snowshoes to get up the south side? - in past yrs this time of yr. it's been deep soft slop).

thanks

[chesterboo]

Hey phantom. we went in there on Monday. left parking lot at about 32 degrees under firm snow conditions. we got off road towards lane and were psyched about firm snow until we got to base of climb. We postholed for 1 and 1/2 hours up lovers lane and finally turned around. We kept thinking it would get harder but never firmed up. The snow was just not consolidated underneath. We felt it needed some warming and or a good rain and then some refreezing. I suppose we could have forced it but much of the way was up to thighs and then ankle deep for a few steps and then knee deep etc..... We did the south gully on guye last week and was much firmer and nice. hope that helps.

[Phantom]

Chesterboo, thanks for the very helpful, if rather depressing, beta about Lover's Lane. Though you guys get hi marks for determination in the face of terrible snow (actually it sounds like it was almost deep enough to be in your face...).

In a more perfect world, postholing will be reserved for posts and not climbers.