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Ascent to Mount Rainier-Muir Snowfield on 2005-05-15

Climber: Erik Landahl

Others in Party:

Rick Samona

Date:

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Ascent Type:

No Summit Goal

Point Reached:

Mount Rainier - Muir Snowfield

Location:

USA-Washington

Elevation:

8500 ft / 2590 m

Ascent Trip Report

Started out partly sunny but 90 minutes into the climb heavy snow and wind hit. Kept struggling up to about 8500. Total whiteout and wind so brutal it was blowing snow horizontally into our faces. 30 yards to the right 3 people were digging a snow cave. We turned around and very slowly started descent. Still a whiteout. Found snowboard tracks and followed them down very cautiously. Kept straining to see rocks that would mark the edge of snowfield and beginning of glacier to make sure we kept our distance. During this same whiteout a man and his nephew accidentally wandered onto Nisqually Glacier and died from exposure. We hit Paradise, changed clothes in the bathroom, then had a scotch or two in the bar.

Summary Total Data

Route:

Muir Snowfield

Trailhead:

Paradise

Route Conditions:

Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Snow on Ground, Snow Climb

Gear Used:

Ice Axe, Crampons, Ski Poles

Weather:

Snowing, Frigid, Extremely Windy, White-out

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