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 This is from the Paradise Trail, a really cool trail that requires some preparation to hike, but isn't inaccessible to novice hikers.
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Dec 19, 2015 22:37
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it's actually called "Denali"
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Dec 19, 2015 22:39
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Ralp posted:it's actually called "Denali"
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Dec 19, 2015 22:41
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Powercrazy posted:
With clouds like that they should call it Mt. Rainiest!
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Dec 19, 2015 22:45
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In Training posted:With clouds like that they should call it Mt. Rainiest! That would be Mount Waialeale 
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Dec 19, 2015 22:48
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Ralp posted:it's actually called "Denali" That would be the former "Mount McKinley" 
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Dec 19, 2015 22:51
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Powercrazy posted:That would be the former "Mount McKinley" Okay then change Ranier to Ti'Swaq
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Dec 19, 2015 22:56
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Tahoma
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Dec 19, 2015 23:00
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that's a font
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Dec 19, 2015 23:58
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I made it pretty far up due to it being late summer. Rip all of the glaciers though, poo poo has receded so quickly within the past 30 years; it doesn't even look like a major mountain in the summer. 
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Dec 20, 2015 05:26
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I've been to Rainier twice (PNW represent). The first time I just met up with my dad and we walked around at the visitor center for a while. The second time I hiked to Camp Muir (the jumping off point for summit attempts) with a techie idiot who was woefully unprepared. Before I left my house I looked at the map and realized we were going through a glacier so I made it a point to bring my trekking poles and traction spikes for some very good boots. The guy I was hiking with (a legit techie idiot) brought some tennis shoes and a quart of water. I spent eight hours watching him slip and slide his way up and down the slope like an idiot. The moral of the story is that tech people are largely incompetent in the outdoors. I had photos but they might be gone because my archival disk broke. 
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Dec 21, 2015 06:28
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Lil Peeler posted:Before I left my house I looked at the map and realized we were going through a glacier so I made it a point to bring my trekking poles and traction spikes for some very good boots. Cool glacier travel setup.
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Dec 21, 2015 09:23
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Wearing a hat
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Dec 21, 2015 16:08
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Lil Peeler posted:I've been to Rainier twice (PNW represent). The first time I just met up with my dad and we walked around at the visitor center for a while. The second time I hiked to Camp Muir (the jumping off point for summit attempts) with a techie idiot who was woefully unprepared. I was ok with just some good boots. Didn't go with clamp-ons or poles. Did bring some canteens and a hiking lunch though. 15ish mile round-trip hike wasn't too bad, went in August. Hiking the glacier trail was super foggy, so I didn't get to see much, but I'd still recommend it to anyone browsing this subforum.
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Dec 21, 2015 18:44
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Powercrazy posted:I was ok with just some good boots. Didn't go with clamp-ons or poles. Did bring some canteens and a hiking lunch though. 15ish mile round-trip hike wasn't too bad, went in August. Hiking the glacier trail was super foggy, so I didn't get to see much, but I'd still recommend it to anyone browsing this subforum. I'm not talking black Diamond crampons, just some yaktrak style chains
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Dec 22, 2015 00:54
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I'm probably an idiot but how hard is it to summit in the summer? It looked incredibly easy when I got to Muir in August and I felt like I could have kept going if I had better gear.
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Dec 22, 2015 02:59
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Ice axe, harness and crampons are needed, or at least that's the gear I was told to get before the climb plans with some buddies fell through and I never did it.
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Dec 22, 2015 08:43
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im gay posted:I'm probably an idiot but how hard is it to summit in the summer? It looked incredibly easy when I got to Muir in August and I felt like I could have kept going if I had better gear. It's not hugely technical by mountaineering standards but it is a big step up from the other big Cascade volcanoes. Standard estimate for Muir to the summit is 6-8 hours and half that back to Muir. Climbing parties do the midnight start because if a storm comes it tends to roll in in the afternoon. If you want to get a big mountain view that isn't as technical or lengthy a climb look into Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Adams. Both are non-technical climbs with amazing views. St. Helens is just a long uphill hike, and so is Adams if you have crampons and an ice axe and some minimal skill with them.
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Dec 22, 2015 20:59
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Have any Goons done any Ski Mountaineering on Rainier? Skiing it is one of the things that is on my bucket list.
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Jan 18, 2016 22:42
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im gay posted:I'm probably an idiot but how hard is it to summit in the summer? It looked incredibly easy when I got to Muir in August and I felt like I could have kept going if I had better gear. Nah, you're no idiot my good man! Have I got some fun facts: All mountains look deceptively easy. It's especially comical when you have mountains next to each other, if you succeed in climbing one you almost feel like you can jump onto the next even though you put yourself through hell to get where you are. But don't be pessimistic, it's so much fun to think it's easy, find it hard, and then be like pff that was easy lying to yourself when you conquer! Ranier is strange in that it's situated in a temperate climate, and gets teratons or something such of precipitation. This makes for tremendous glaciers that flow fast, which translate to crevasses literally everywhere. Here's a fun challenge for you: open a terrain map of Mt Hood (for example. Beware that not all places have terrain at enough detail). The easiest way up is pretty obvious, eh? The map is suggestive of crevassed areas (cracks in the terrain shading), so you can easily pick a safe and gentle ascent. Not to mention all the steep areas and sheer cliffs that would stop anyone. Now try the same on Mt Ranier and try not to go WTF. The good news is that the easy route is popular (in summer, yes). So if you stick to the beaten path and have a couple friend to haul your rear end out of any cracks you fall into (solo climbing is rare because of this, and you need a special permit in which you argue your mad skillz), you'll do ok. Pretty safe. Another detail you have to worry about is altitude sickness. This one is pretty high. Normal fatass people like me attempting to do lesser climbs in a day are likely to get a nasty headache at least. On Ranier, HAPE isn't that unusual for experienced peeps even. Spending a night or two at moderate elevations (8k - 10k ft) works wonders though. HTH!
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Jan 19, 2016 04:15
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Altitude sickness loving sucks, I got a minor but obvious case once on a fairly low peak that I ascended too quickly and as a result wasn't acclimated even at only 9000'. We drove from 3000' to 7500' in an hour and a half then blitzed up the mountain fast as we could. It wasn't anything physiologically damaging or imminently life-threatening, but enough lack of oxygen to the brain that at one point I was too confused to go any farther and started freaking out and shaking. Glad I wasn't alone that day, could have been difficult to get back down  So yeah, don't make any common mistakes and get that, or worse than that. Not worth it.
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Jan 19, 2016 05:05
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Went to Rainier back in 2014, made it up to the start of the Muir snowfield before heading back (would have gone on a little further, but we didn't have trekking poles and my wife had her low-cut hiking shoes rather than her boots on). That was probably our favorite hike there, but the hike out to Fremont Lookout from Sunrise was really cool, too.Picnic Princess posted:Altitude sickness loving sucks, I got a minor but obvious case once on a fairly low peak that I ascended too quickly and as a result wasn't acclimated even at only 9000'. We drove from 3000' to 7500' in an hour and a half then blitzed up the mountain fast as we could. It wasn't anything physiologically damaging or imminently life-threatening, but enough lack of oxygen to the brain that at one point I was too confused to go any farther and started freaking out and shaking. Glad I wasn't alone that day, could have been difficult to get back down The worst I've gotten from altitude sickness was a splitting headache and some pretty bad nausea, but that poo poo sucks. Similar situations both times it happened to me, just pushed myself too hard too fast on the trail after a decent elevation change from driving.
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Jan 19, 2016 15:47
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I experienced altitude sickness a few years ago on my first trip to Colorado. Also kind of minor case but still not a pleasant experience and something I don't want to experience again. Flew from Chicago to Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked up to 9500 ish feet (all within about 8 hours). Headache, no appetite, nausea, couldn't sleep at night. Nothing like not being able to hold down food when you're burning calories with every step, not being able to sleep when you're exhausted, and a throbbing headache when you're trying to enjoy a vacation.
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Jan 20, 2016 08:38
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A few buddies and I are setting up a Summer climb of Rainier, we are all fairly backpacking experienced so not too worried about succeeding the actual climb. The thing we are doing to make sure we will handle it is doing Adams/Hood/Baker before hand. We are working up some training hikes to be sure we have the mettle but again, not too worried. Did Florence Peak last week to wear in my new boots. http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/florence-peak Snow was poo poo, too soft to not wear snow shoes but too packed to get good trail. I stand by my previous statements that snowshoeing is not something people should do unless you have to.
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Jan 26, 2016 02:46
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Do you guys have any mountaineering experience or just backpacking? It's not clear from your post and I think it is very inadvisable to try Rainier without at the very least thoroughly studying mountaineering texts, practicing techniques a lot, and maybe taking some courses. Its good that you are attempting some less technical climbs first, but its 100% possible to shlep your way to the top of Mt Baker without really knowing what you are doing, and then find yourself in a very bad situation on Rainier. I don't mean to be patronizing or underestimate your ability or anything, but lots of people have failed to give that mountain the respect it deserves and there are now lots of skeletons.
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Jan 27, 2016 01:53
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I know mount hood is less technical in that it is shorter and a larger portion of the climb is just slogging up a snow slope, but is it really a warm up? I don't know the actual stats like death per attempt or whatever, but based on Google they've killed roughly the same number. Also depending on conditions that top section of hood seems like it could be more difficult that any pitch on Rainer, but I that's just my impression, anybody more familiar? Although, "depending on conditions" touring The Mall in DC can be harder than Rainer
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Jan 27, 2016 04:45
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Morbus posted:Do you guys have any mountaineering experience or just backpacking? It's not clear from your post and I think it is very inadvisable to try Rainier without at the very least thoroughly studying mountaineering texts, practicing techniques a lot, and maybe taking some courses. Its good that you are attempting some less technical climbs first, but its 100% possible to shlep your way to the top of Mt Baker without really knowing what you are doing, and then find yourself in a very bad situation on Rainier. I would disagree with this. The beaten path up Rainer has preventable dangers, a large part of prevention is going up as a group. But that beaten path is... beaten. Follow it with common sense, take it easy, acclimate, and you're likely ok (disclaimer: I've only read & heard, not tried). Heck, that beaten path is even groomed and there are bridges across some crevasses, because it's profitable for the guides. Rainier is the Everest of the US in the sense that there's a lot of clueless loons led up by the experienced looking to make a buck. Mt Baker on the other hand, you're very likely to do this without even knowing about it:  It's remote. Noone will hear you scream. That's actually Mt Baker in the picture, if there's any doubt. Hood's popular southern approach is uncomparable to either mountain, because there's only one crevasse (bergschrund actually) near the top which some people choose to cross, but it can be totally avoided. Hood's danger is falling or getting lost, which happens a lot mainly due to its popularity. There's no significant glacier travel, just big, persistent snowfields (Palmer glacier is no longer considered a glacier). meselfs fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Jan 27, 2016 |
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Jan 27, 2016 05:01
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Morbus posted:Do you guys have any mountaineering experience or just backpacking? It's not clear from your post and I think it is very inadvisable to try Rainier without at the very least thoroughly studying mountaineering texts, practicing techniques a lot, and maybe taking some courses. Its good that you are attempting some less technical climbs first, but its 100% possible to shlep your way to the top of Mt Baker without really knowing what you are doing, and then find yourself in a very bad situation on Rainier. No offense taken, we've all taken our mountaineering courses, crevasse training, etc. I'm probably the least experienced in the group, one of us has attempted it before. I'm well aware of the dangers. I'm also totally open to any resources you might recommend though, good reading is good reading My two biggest concerns are crevasse, and weather(my job). Since we are local we shouldn't have any issue planning around the forecast, no reason we shouldn't hit ideal conditions. I do naval forecasts on a pretty regular basis and am familiar with the more unique weather patterns of the cascade range from years of backpacking. Since my group is much more experienced I'm leaning on them, but I'm also not a complete moron. (hooks up baby carrier, laces tennis shoes) The less technical climbs each contain an element we aim to practice whether it's glacial travel, long backpack, or technical climb; before going for the big one. I mean we could just be like every other rich idiot and just pay to have a guided trip shlep us up to the top. BlueBlazer fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Jan 27, 2016 |
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Jan 27, 2016 06:00
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meselfs posted:Hood's popular southern approach is uncomparable to either mountain, because there's only one crevasse (bergschrund actually) near the top which some people choose to cross, but it can be totally avoided. Hood's danger is falling or getting lost, which happens a lot mainly due to its popularity. There's no significant glacier travel, just big, persistent snowfields (Palmer glacier is no longer considered a glacier). I haven't done hood but a friend described front pointing up steep icy snow above the bergschrund, and being lucky to find a mountaineering club willing to share their belay for descending the same slope. I did do Rainer, and ya there are icy death pits everywhere, but it felt like just a walk up. I guess they just hit hood in a tougher snowpack?
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Jan 27, 2016 06:30
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Epitope posted:I haven't done hood but a friend described front pointing up steep icy snow above the bergschrund, and being lucky to find a mountaineering club willing to share their belay for descending the same slope. I did do Rainer, and ya there are icy death pits everywhere, but it felt like just a walk up. I guess they just hit hood in a tougher snowpack? Yes. It sounds like they went up the "pearly gates", which was considered the easiest way until about a decade ago. It's still easy some years/hours, but can also be pure steep ice which most people aren't equipped to handle. The more consistently "easy" way is to go west of that, max slope 40° and no crevasses* or ice. Don't fall still; if you fall, there's much more space to stop**, but if you don't, you might fall into the volcanoe's anus (it has happened). I'd much rather go down a bottomless icy death pit. Props to your friend for doing that (I'd freak out! the bergschrund is right under that section. You fall, you die) and to you for Rainier! *Normally. These last two years are completely whack. **If you use all that space, you've probably accumulated a few broken bones and aren't stopping yourself.
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Jan 27, 2016 06:59
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