Sunset Ridge, Mt Rainier, 15 July 2010
Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:19 am
So Dan Himmelschralper and I continued our budding bromance on the slopes of Mt Rain-yay, skiing a second aesthetic ridge within a week's time (skied Liberty a week ago w/ Casey and Tony). For various reasons, we approached separately on Wednesday, reuniting at a scenic bivy with running water alongside the Edmunds Glacier (the site used with Sky and Ryan a year ago for the Edmunds Headwall). En route, I played chicken with a bear, who ended up being the bigger chicken (not by much). Dan also saw the critter, and we hung food as a precaution. 2nd pic is Dan bouldering with cause.
From Ptarmigan Ridge you must drop down disgustingly loose scree and talus to the N Mowich Gl -- I rock-surfed with about a tonne of my buddies for bit, until connecting with snow (quickly, thanks to my sometimes reliable memory). Here's some solid rock on the descent:
A shot of the mountain from Ptarmigan Ridge, with Sunset Ridge on the right-hand skyline (a poorly lit route photo from near Orting v. early Wednesday morning was informative, but not worth sharing)--from this perspective, someone could see us ski the upper Mowich Face, then would only occasionally see us right on the horizon:
From the climb:
We started early and made good time, allowing us to take big breaks while we waited for the sun to ripen the slopes. We converged and climbed with Colin, Booth and Eduardo (they skied the Edmunds Headwall) on the home stretch to the summit, and enjoyed their comaraderie while waiting in the cold wind up top. When we all dropped onto the upper Mowich Face at ~3:30, it was blissful corn--steep, exposed and exhilirating turns.
Then Himmelstrafer and I traversed over to Sunset Ridge, employing axes and skis to make a spicy connection approx. 20 feet below the ridge's summit. Dan contemplating the first of many turns down this long ridge:
Turns on the ridge are exposed to the Sunset Ampitheatre on the left (and Puyallup Gl), the Mowich Face on the right. That's the S Mowich Gl background right:
more pics
I had to grunt home that evening, whilst Himalschralper bivied another night and shredded the Central Mowich Face the next day. Wish I could've stayed...
From Ptarmigan Ridge you must drop down disgustingly loose scree and talus to the N Mowich Gl -- I rock-surfed with about a tonne of my buddies for bit, until connecting with snow (quickly, thanks to my sometimes reliable memory). Here's some solid rock on the descent:
A shot of the mountain from Ptarmigan Ridge, with Sunset Ridge on the right-hand skyline (a poorly lit route photo from near Orting v. early Wednesday morning was informative, but not worth sharing)--from this perspective, someone could see us ski the upper Mowich Face, then would only occasionally see us right on the horizon:
From the climb:
We started early and made good time, allowing us to take big breaks while we waited for the sun to ripen the slopes. We converged and climbed with Colin, Booth and Eduardo (they skied the Edmunds Headwall) on the home stretch to the summit, and enjoyed their comaraderie while waiting in the cold wind up top. When we all dropped onto the upper Mowich Face at ~3:30, it was blissful corn--steep, exposed and exhilirating turns.
Then Himmelstrafer and I traversed over to Sunset Ridge, employing axes and skis to make a spicy connection approx. 20 feet below the ridge's summit. Dan contemplating the first of many turns down this long ridge:
Turns on the ridge are exposed to the Sunset Ampitheatre on the left (and Puyallup Gl), the Mowich Face on the right. That's the S Mowich Gl background right:
more pics
I had to grunt home that evening, whilst Himalschralper bivied another night and shredded the Central Mowich Face the next day. Wish I could've stayed...