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My wife and I decided to move our RV up towards Rainier after our long and enjoyable stay in the Sisters, OR area. We waited out the weather for a few days and were rewarded. Wednesday was the perfect day- everyone else thought so too! You could start skinning right from the parking area below the Paradise visitors center which was great!

Kelly with Adams and the Tatoosh Range behind her.


Right from the start we had great views of St. Helens.



I can't say it enough- it was an absolutely beautiful day.



Even the Marmots came out to check out the spectacle.



We got onto the snowfield proper after a short carry on the Panorama point switchback trail. Then just a couple more carries over rocks that connected continuous snow.





Below Anvil Rock we decided to make some water, relax and then make our descent. We had great views!





Mt. Adams even shed the little cloud cover it had and showed itself in all its glory!



We had noticed a pretty burly skin track being put in on the Kautz Glacier earlier on. We then got to see them descend. Here's the line they left:



Here's the full resolution image, http://tinyurl.com/7t94ay2

According to Alpenglow Sports, and if I'm correct, this line was first skied in 1985 by Dale Farnham. http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/topos/mt-rainier.html I was surprised to see how recently many of the first ski descents on Rainier have occurred. Either way, very impressive and aesthetic line in my opinion.

We transitioned and enjoyed the upper parts of the Muir that were a nice layer of corn.



Since they have been getting new snow most of the lower Muir was heavily saturated with water for the first few inches and then a crusty corn layer with big granules below that. It made for slow but smooth and fun turns. I turned too hard at one point, putting too much weight on my edge and nose, and was rewarded with a cartwheel on my head. Still a blast!

After a little detour to Panorama point and a chat with a visiting German we carried down below the point and rode to the car!





On the drive home we also came across this dude/dudette. Very curious as it came right up to the car to check us out.



Thanks Rainier!

those little foxes are everywhere up there. at our camp at cougar rock a radio collared one was hanging at our camp for a good ten minutes. very human affected but damn awesome animals!

that fuhrer finger is still looking great, and ive heard the kautz is one of the finest descents on the mountain. the "ice cliff" section of the kautz is extra intriguing.

my favorite account on alpenglow.org is the 1998 snowboard descent of the success glacier coulior. that line is incredibly aesthetic.

Rainier really is another level above the rest of the cascade volcanoes.

Way to score a beauty day!

My freind erik and I climbed the fuhrer finger and road the wilson headwall about a month ago. The line takes you right beneath the kautz icefall.There was a snowboard track on the kautz hw from the day before. Pretty sure I know where it came from.

I turned around climbing the kautz at the rap station a couple years ago due too 3-4' high suncupatenties. I have pic of my partner climbing the 'ice fall' which was waist deep suncups.

Speaking of first decents on rainier... did ya see the liberty ridge to thermo genesis couloir? Impressive!

What a great day, I'm going to be headed up that way tomorrow...I doubt I'll have as nice of weather though

[quote=]"ale_capone" road the wilson headwall about a month ago.![/quote]

sick ale. was it very traversey or good fall line? little chutes that go through the cliff bands or do you cut around em? on the kautz headwall huh...

The day and conditions look great!