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Mowich Lake Rd opening date delay


pete_a

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Park service website had been showing an estimated opening date for Mowich Lake Rd to be July 22nd... I called today to ask about the road and the opening date has been pushed back to the end of July/start of August. So if you want to head up there be prepared to walk or bike about five miles to get to the trailhead.

Anyways, I just wanted to pass along this info since its not currently on the park website or the road conditions phone recording.

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Mowich Lake Road is open all the way to the lake. Just came back from there; we were about a quarter mile from Echo and Observation and decided not to go further in whiteout and high winds that would not go away. But the flowers are great, and there are no mosquitos yet on the peaks on the western perimeter of Lake Mowich.

 

I used the trip to introduce a friend to alpine scrambling... He started off extremely hesitant about descending a 3rd class gully, but by the end of the trip, he was referring to Spray Park Trail as the Grandma Trail. [smile]

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I went to Observation Rock with skis today. I was able to ski down to about 6000 feet with a few ski portages. It probably would have been continuous a week ago. The snow is a little dirty but not too bad. It's the first time I've taken skis up there, so I don't know what's typical for this time of year.

 

I'll second the comment about the wind. It was strong all day. I cleared the clouds above 6500 feet after 1pm. The wind was blowing wild looking cloud plumes over Rainier. Willis Wall was covered with spindrift--blowing dirt.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lowell Skoog:

I'll second the comment about the wind. It was strong all day. I cleared the clouds above 6500 feet after 1pm. The wind was blowing wild looking cloud plumes over Rainier. Willis Wall was covered with spindrift--blowing dirt.

Ah, so the clouds cleared up... at about 7000 feet we found some shelter and waited from 9:30 to 10:30 to see if conditions would improve, but no such luck. There was a huge lenticular over Rainier last night. About 3 AM I got a picture of it lit by the moonlight.

 

As someone posted elsewhere, what's up with those meteorologists with the forecast on Sunday? Usually they do better than that.

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The wind situation was bad in S. Washington and Oregon also. We headed up Mt Adams on Sunday to ski the SW chutes - the winds were est. 30 to 40 mph w/ 50-60 mph gusts just below the Lunch Counter. There was a big lenticular over the summit and Mt Hood too. A couple of people who came off the summit ridge said that they were crawling. Saw a number of tents either flying and shredding.

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just came down from camp schurman today. winds are horribly strong. got up there on sat, they were gusting at about 50. by this morning, everyone bugged out amongst the 60+ mph gusts. the rangers up there are pretty busy, as an unlucky soul damaged their leg at around 12,500. had to be slid from that point back to the hut at schurman. three hele attempts to lift him off were unsuccessful. today, on the way down saw the one wheel litter on it's way up to meet the injured at the base of the interglacier. aside from the horrid wind (more like a sandblaster), conditions are really in good shape. the schrund is passable on the left. have no fear all, ranger mike is on the scene there. better than 50% turn-around before 13k. [hell no]

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Sorry about posting info that ended up not being true...I called three times last week and got the same answer from the park service every time....this isn't the first time I've experienced an information snafu with opening dates at rainier.

I was up there on sunday too...hiked in so early that morning that the clouds hadn't arrived yet and could see all most of the mountain from spray park except for the top thousand feet that was in a wicked looking cloud cap. I think I got some great photos of the clouds ripping across the north side of rainier up on ptarmigan ridge and the willis wall. Never saw another skier up there that day, but I was on the trail at 6am...drove up anticipating that I'd be mountain biking the last five miles, but was suprised to find I could drive all the way to the lake. So I was skiing by about 8:30am and on my way out by 2.

That wind was crazy though...I tried to hike up Ptarmigan Ridge to get a view of the Russell glacier and was getting knocked down above 8500ft...

Great skiing right now, about on par with what it was like up there two years ago this time of year...much better than last year!

Lowell, it woulda been great to bump into you! sorry I missed ya in the clouds somewhere.

 

[ 07-31-2002, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: pete a ]

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  • 3 weeks later...

Anyone been skiing up around Observation rock lately? Me and the misses are thinking of skiing the NF of Obs. tomorrow (8/18). This time of year, you're usually able to get continuous skiing down to this one little lake at the bottom of the main snow field. [rockband] Anyone out there know if this is still the case?

Thanks!

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