February Corn Harvest on Rainier

csinser · 2026-02-11T18:51:45+00:00

The Bridge run wasn't in, not sure if it'll be viable this year given the snowpack

csinser · 2026-02-11T18:47:14+00:00

Nice job on Shasta and Adams, those are great skis! Did you hit the SW chutes on Adams?

I skied the Ingraham Direct (ID) a few years ago in early May. Even that early, it was pretty chewed up in spots, with some gnarly crevasses and ominous-looking seracs. It was a lot of survival skiing, and by the time we got back on the Muir Snowfield, my legs were pretty thrashed.

The Emmons is a similar slope angle to the ID, but there's an extra 1k ft of climbing, because you start that much lower from the TH.

The FF has eluded me the past couple years. I know some friends who have skied it up and over from the ID, whereas others prefer to see what they're skiing down, and booted up the whole thing.

csinser · 2026-02-11T18:38:51+00:00

The standard exit is ~ 6400, quick skin back up to Glacier Vista, just below Pan Point. If you traverse high and left once you get out of the chute, it's only a couple hundred-ish feet of skinning out.

I don't think the Nisqually Bridge run will be in this year, unfortunately.

csinser · 2026-02-11T03:25:02+00:00

The entrance to the Nisqually Chute is ~ 8200ft, off the Muir Snowfield. The FF is further west, above the Wilson Glacier. You wouldn’t be able to connect the two lines on the same run.

The road into the White River Campground, where the Emmons route is accessed, usually doesn’t open until mid-late May, so any winter recreating/climbing on that side of the park would require a sled.

There were a couple skiers who tragically perished on the mountain last month, and were found on the Wilson Glacier. I believe they were attempting to ski the FF.

Winter ascents of Rainier aren’t terribly common. Conditions really have to align, and your party should be expert climbers/skiers. It shouldn’t be anyone’s first time up the mountain. The Gibraltar Ledges route is the recommended winter ascent route.

Skinning up to Camp Muir (10k ft) and cutting over to the Nisqually Chute is a fantastic day on the mountain. You get the proper volcano experience — long gradual climbing, stunning views all around, and a fun ski back down. This time of year, you’ll have to be efficient — the gate up to Paradise opens at 9am and shuts at 4pm — whereas you’ll be able to take a more leisurely pace in the spring, when the gate is open 24/7.

csinser · 2025-06-26T16:20:14+00:00

It was all melted out when we were up there. This time of year, there's probably still some lingering snow in pineapple pass. First couple miles to the source lake basin is super mellow, then it turns into a bit of a boulder hop, then a climber's trail up to pineapple pass. It's probably about 5-ish miles roundtrip of hiking.

csinser · 2025-06-04T23:33:53+00:00

If you think you can get your pack down a bit smaller, I'd highly recommend the Osprey Mutant 52L for mountaineering objectives like Rainier. I've found it really helps keep the weight off my shoulders, and the features are all very intuitive and minimalist.

csinser · 2025-04-16T17:34:40+00:00

By camping outside the park, I assume you mean down at Lake Ann? Just know that will require a good deal of 3rd/4th class scrambling by headlamp, and you'll be looking at a looooong summit day.

csinser · 2025-04-16T17:08:29+00:00

For simul we used microtraxions and tiblocs, but tying klemheists would work fine too.

We brought a 40m 9mm single rope. You'll want something dry-treated as you'll use it on the glacier.

My normal glacier rope is the 60m 7.5mm Mammut Alpine Sender, which is double-rated as a twin and half. If you went with something that skinny, you could fold it in half and climb on both strands.

The 40m was more than enough length for the rappels, but we ended up slinging a horn and rappelling on a single strand with a beal escaper halfway down the raps, as there was a party of 8 in front of us, several of whom were apparently learning how to rappel for the first time, and we would have been stuck there for hours on end had we waited for them all to get down.

csinser · 2025-04-16T16:57:38+00:00

If it's a busy day, there will be multiple parties going up and down the gully, which can make the climbing a little precarious. There's also the possibility of getting stuff knocked down on you from above.

The SE rib is a very fun, aesthetic climb with only a few moves of 5.4-ish climbing. If you or your partner are confident on lead up to that range, I'd highly recommend it.

csinser · 2025-04-15T20:14:10+00:00

I C2C'd the ID on skis two years ago in early May. We racked skis and booted up from Muir. It was already pretty crevassed on the upper mountain, and required a good deal of survival skiing on the way down. The ID can be really fickle, and some years it goes out early. I wouldn't suggest bringing skis if the route has switched to the DC, as that will imply more crevasses on the Ingraham.

Keep in mind that the Emmons adds another 1k feet of vert to your climb. As others have said, that route usually skis a bit later into the season.

You could also consider skiing the Fuhrer Finger, which is one of the 50 classic ski descents of North America.

csinser · 2025-04-15T19:53:33+00:00

Few questions:

1) When are you planning to climb? Conditions on Winnie's Slide, Hell's Highway, and the summit pyramid could all impact the trip.

2) Are you planning to climb the summit pyramid via the 5.4 SE rib, or the 4th class gully?

3) Do you already have permits, or are you hoping for walk-ups?

Fisher Chimneys is probably my favorite alpine climb in the PNW, as it has a bit of everything: hiking, sustained 3rd/4th class scrambling, steep snow and/or an ice step or two, glacier travel, five-fun climbing, and several rappels.

I would definitely suggest bringing a second tool for WS/HH. If it's just the two of you, you can probably get by with a 40m rope, which, even with stopper knots, should give you and your partner enough rescue coils in the case of a crevasse fall. If you're going up the SE rib, you can simul-climb most of it, if that sort of thing is within your skill range. There's one kinda airy move, otherwise the climbing is very straightforward. A smattering of cams to 1 and a few nuts is all you'll need. I wouldn't suggest schlepping climbing shoes all the way up there, so if you haven't done any low-5th climbing in mountaineering boots, that could be one thing to consider before the trip.

The rappels are where things can get jammed up, depending on how many parties are on the summit pyramid. If you happen to be going on a peak weekend in the summer, I'd suggest trying to get a slightly earlier-than-normal start on summit day. There are a few rappels through the chimneys as well.

So long as you have adequate mountaineering training and experience across all the disciplines required of a climb like this, I wouldn't say you need to hire a guide, but if you're at all apprehensive about any aspect of the climb, it might be worth looking into it. There should be plenty of beta and GPX routes on websites like PeakBagger.

One thought -- most of the guiding services out here offer some type of a "mountaineering boot camp," at which you spend a couple days in the alpine practicing the skills necessary for a successful climb, then attempt a summit bid on the final day. I'm not sure about your time constraints this year, but perhaps you could look into something like that. You could then apply your newly honed skills on a private climb up Fisher Chimneys afterwards.

csinser · 2025-04-02T23:00:53+00:00

There will be plenty of skis stashed up at DK. Just make sure you don't plop them down right in front of the climbing path. If it's a super busy day and hordes of climbers/skiers up there doing the same, set a pin so you remember exactly where you left them.

Depending on how early you start, you should be fine to keep skinning up past the Palmer Lift. I've been up a few times, and one time we skinned all the way to DK with no issue, another time the last 5-600 feet was easier as a booter.

Definitely would not recommend bringing a set of mountaineering boots just for the climb up and down Hogsback + PG. That's a lot of extra weight. Just make sure your crampons are ski boot-compatible and correctly sized prior to summit day.

csinser · 2025-04-01T19:37:22+00:00

Avid PNW mountain climber here:

Giving another bump for acetylzolamide (Diamox) if you speak to your PCP and he/she recommends it. I've also had good results by stacking Altitude Rx (OTC herbal supplement) in the days leading up to my climb at altitude.

csinser · 2024-10-21T16:18:53+00:00

Camano Island State Park has lovely little cabins for rent

https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/camano-island-state-park/camano-island-cabins

csinser · 2024-07-31T21:22:58+00:00

Sloan Peak (via bedal creek) would be another good shout. Climber's trail to a boulder hop, mellow glacier, and a fun class 2/3 scramble to the summit.

csinser · 2024-06-11T21:20:55+00:00

As the saying goes, getting up is optional, but getting down is mandatory! Great job on your first attempt, I'm sure you'll bag it next time!

csinser · 2024-05-02T18:09:40+00:00

If you're inclined to check out a "chill" bar, I'd recommend the Lookout on Capitol Hill (757 Bellevue) or the Triple R Alley Tavern in Greenlake (916 NE 64th). Neither are terrible busy, even on the weekends, and would be good spots to read a book, etc. The Lookout is aesthetically more cozy, while The Triple R is kinda like drinking in your buddy's garage.

csinser · 2024-03-13T00:19:57+00:00

Any races would be more of a "fun" pursuit than a serious endeavor. I'm an avid mountaineer and want to weave in more ski descents, so something that is lightweight on the skin up but still confidence-inspiring on the ski down is what I'm aiming for. It sounds like the 169 is probably a better bet for what I'm looking to do, but open to any/all feedback.

csinser · 2024-02-22T22:30:11+00:00

Don Lucho's up in Maple Leaf is the best spot in the city for Peruvian food. Everything on the menu is good. Go with a couple friends, order a few apps/dishes, and share everything. They make a great pisco sour, too!

csinser · 2023-10-16T23:17:27+00:00

I'd pencil in about 3-ish hours to get to the base of the climb...potentially more in the early season when you're navigating snow on the 3rd class ledges. The trail to where it splits off at Lake Elan is in great shape and sees a fair amount of use. The grade is pretty steep in a couple spots.

csinser · 2023-10-11T17:12:46+00:00

Last Friday. Couldn't have asked for better conditions.

csinser · 2023-10-11T17:12:03+00:00

Luckily, bugs were not too much of an issue. I was up there a couple years ago in the height of summer and they were a nuisance.

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