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Ascent to Mount Rainier-Upper Nisqually Glacier on 2000-07-16

Climber: Greg Slayden

Others in Party:

Glenn M.

Date:

Sunday, July 16, 2000

Ascent Type:

Unsuccessful - Turned Back

Point Reached:

Mount Rainier - Upper Nisqually Glacier

Location:

USA-Washington

Elevation:

11900 ft / 3627 m

Remaining Elevation:

2511 ft / 765 m (27% left to go)

Ascent Trip Report

Glenn and I attempted a one-day ascent of Mount Rainier via the Fuhrer Finger, planning to ski down from the summit. We left Paradise at 10 PM on Saturday night, and climbed via Glacier Vista, the Nisqually Glacier, the lower Wilson Glacier, and finally into the Finger by dawn.

However, once at the top of the Finger the snow was ugly Neve Penitentes (spiky snow formations). We tried to force our way through them, but they were a couple feet high in places. This was no place to be skiing, and we were tired, too. So we turned back and retraced our route back to Paradise. We did get in over 3000 feet of nice corn snow turns on the Wilson Glacier, which was some consolation.

Summary Total Data

Elevation Gain:

7152 ft / 2179 m

Extra Gain:

336 ft / 102 m

Route:

Fuhrer Finger

Trailhead:

Paradise 5420 ft / 1652 m

Quality:

7 (on a subjective 1-10 scale)

Route Conditions: