danhelmstadter Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Trip: Mt. Rainier - Central Mowich Face from 12.5k Date: 7/4/2009 Trip Report: With food reserves, and my dog prepaid for another day in the kennal, I could not leave the camp from wich Eric, Ryan, and Sky had left for job commitments early that same morning. The Edmunds Headwall had been a great ski, too good, I wanted more; after all this is July - the month when winter finally withdrawls from all but the highest elevations of our latitude. I slept in, knowing that the northwest faceing slopes would not ripen fully till a late hour, unfortunatly waiting for a later climb also meant dramatically increased exposure to the rockfall that likes to fall in sunny warmth... Stretching my legs up the lower glaciers to the base of the route felt good, maybe because stoke was high. I had to cross a significant icefall zone, but all the debris seemed old, a legitimate enough reason to maintain a minimal worry attitude while in such a place. The snow bridge over the Bergshrund was fairly thin, but the snow was still solid in the earlyish hour, so I crossed with haste instead of an alternate and longer rock option. Rocks were already comeing down - rocks falling fast enough to easily rip off a limb... The snow lacked the slightly feathered quality that the Edmunds Headwall had the day before, instead it seemed harder, with a thicker ice crust, and less granular texture on the surface - Making for slightly more treacherous and less forgiveing cramponing. Perhaps twelve softball to basketball size rocks bounced past on my climb, I tried to keep my head up so I could attempt to dodge or "protect" or even just quickly anchor my harnessed axe so that if I got knocked unconcious I would at least not fall to my death. The slopes steepend to 50+ degress up high, and the last several hundred feet had areas of water/glacial ice shallowly hidden under the snow surface. I waited for an hour or so under a partial protection of a cliff band at 12.4k or so for the north side of the slight suncups/runnels to soften like there southern sided brothers. A luxury of time I could afford. I recorded the descent with my "helmut cam". It is easy to see I was being cautious for the first few hundred feet because of the ice. Slopes below were ripper. At the bottom of the main slope and at around 4 minutes time on my video, I recorded a rock careening towrds me (one of many on the climb/ski) Fortunatly I was able to doge it. I put my helmut on instead of my headcam for the last couple hundred feet to the bergshrund. The snow bridge at that afternoon hour was rotten by sun, so I detoured around on some rock to gain the glacier in a safer location. [video:youtube] The lower slopes were sublime except for the icefall debris which took patience to negotiate. I packed camp, skiied down, and climbed Ptarmagain Ridge as quickly as I could so as to get back to my truck, and possibly grab a beer for a likely Fourth of July party in Carbonado. As it went, I made the crest of Ptarmagain Ridge with plenty of time to get back, but I decided it could be really cool to bivy there near O'rock and watch the fireworks go off over the Puget Sound. It was worth it, and I made my way back admireing the cool forests the next morning - very content with my decision to spend the nigt on the ridge. Zoom for tracks Dusk from Ptarmagain Ridge Edited July 9, 2009 by danhelmstadter Quote
YocumRidge Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 A great job. What a beautiful way to spend the 4th of July! Quote
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