Advice for a trip to Camp Schurmen

[subrookie]

First post here. I hiked up to Camp Muir last weekend after spending a few weeks working near Keystone in Colorado. It was fun enough that I thought I'd try the other side of Rainier. I do a lot of work at or near ski areas spending a lot of time over 12K hiking all over for my job. But, in the Cascades I generally keep below 7K feet.

 

I want to go to Schurmen next weekend. I have the equipment but not much glacier experience. I'm not a stranger to NW scrambles, but I want to be smart about this. What should I expect? Should I not do this trip? I'm good with a compass, route finding, and probably won't get too surprised by rain/sleet/snow. Thanks in advance for your help.

[beeb]

I've been told that there are crevasses on the way to Schurman and therefore should be roped up. Interested in finding out more on this topic though!

[genepires]

I fell into a crevasse (two feet dangle but only down into waist) near the top of the inter glacier. Very unexpected as the next glacier has more crevasses of size. There is a way to get from the top of the inter glacier to sherman without getting on the glacier again via downclimbing some shitty looking rock and the rangers use it often.

 

The rangers often use another approach to not step on the inter glacier too but it cuts off the main trial early, goes up a different valley and runs along a ridge climbers left of the inter glacier. I have never done it so that is all the beta I got.

[AlpineK]

If you go to the top of Steamboat Prow or just below it on lookers left there is a scrambling route down to Camp Shurmen. I've done it a couple times. It isn't too bad, and it keeps you off the Emmons.

 

It's been a few years since I've used that route, so don't ask for a better description of it.

[knelson]

Regarding that route Feck mentioned... approach the top of Steamboat Prow on climber's left. Just several hundred yards below the top of the Prow, you'll find a pummicy/ballbearing scree slope that you traverse across. You'll probably see a trail across it. For me, this was the most uncomfortable part as it seems like the whole slope is constantly moving under your feet. But then again, it was a few years ago for me too.

 

At the end of that traverse, it will dump you out at the top of a gully. You can then just downclimb that gully and just before you hit the bottom, traverse left out of it on an obvious path. The gully runs a little north of the hut at Schurman.

 

Regarding Interglacier, I saw it last weekend but wasn't on it. Looked icy, with a couple cracks about half way up, and a couple more at the top.

[subrookie]

Thanks for the replies. Does that trail across the Prow come up from Camp Curtis or does it follow the main route across the inter glacier then fork off climbers right to avoid the Emmons? If it looks sketch I'll turn back.

[jshamster]

from glacier basin head left up mt. ruth. follow ridge all the way up, through camp curtis, to left of steamboat prow summit. follow trail down nasty mud & scree to camp schurman. no crevasses, no worries.

the trail up mt. ruth is a bit steep out of glacier basin, then easy ridge walking the rest of the way to the prow. it's a climbers trail, but should be fairly obvious.

look at a map. it'll all make sense.

 

have fun!

 

cheers

jimbo

[knelson]

... Does that trail across the Prow come up from Camp Curtis or does it follow the main route across the inter glacier then fork off climbers right to avoid the Emmons? ...

 

Actually, both. Jimbo summed it up pretty good. If you come up the ridge from Camp Curtis, you just keep going up the ridge. If you come up the Interglacier, then you'll peel off right and head up the ridge instead of dropping over onto the Emmons.