Mount Rainier via Emmons-Winthrop Glacier

Trip Report

TRIP REPORT - Mount rainier via emmons-winthrop glacier

The group took a later start on July 4th and made our way through the Glacier Basin from White River Campground. We were under heavy cloud cover, so the approach was cool more or less. About the same time we reached the clouds, we finally made it to the Interglacier. It is about 5 miles to reach this point.

We knew it would be dark sooner than later on the NE side of the mountain, so we began looking for a flat section to make our camp 1. With low visibility in the clouds, we quickly realized there weren't too many locations. After some more diligent searching, we decided to dig into the side of the glacier and establish camp where we were. While doing this, Tahoma greeted us with a fantastic cloud inversion that settled just beneath us for a view of an incredible sunset.

Day 2 we were up and working on rope/glacier travel skills. It was a good opportunity to let the snow melt so that we could avoid crampon travel to make it to Camp Schurman and eventually the Emmons Flats - Camp 2. This plan worked. After some practice, we packed up camp and worked our way up to Curtis Ridge without the need for any crampons.

Curtis Ridge offers a few wonderful camping spots, as well as your first view of the entire Emmons routes. It is awe-inspiring. To get to Camp Schurman, a somewhat annoying down climb is required over loose dirt and rock. There is evidence of A LOT of large rock fall in this section based on the debris laying around. Move smoothly and efficiently here to avoid any incident. 

After this short scramble, you are surrounded by many beautiful crevasses and you have a short trot over to Camp Schurman. You have the option to dump any used blue bags here, as well as use the restroom (what a treat!). Emmons flats is just another tenth or two of a mile up and over the hill. There are several crevasses between the two camps (and soon likely to be some IN the camp on Emmons Flats), so stay roped up and vigilant.

The team divided and conquered with efficiency on chores. We worked diligently to get camp dug out and set up so folks could go to sleep. Others were melting and filtering liter after liter of water for the group. A few boiled water for dinners. We had a smooth running machine that would make any SIG leader proud. Students prepared their summit packs, and were in bed by 1700. Leaders stayed up to melt/filter the remaining water, as well as finish up any remaining camp chores. In bed by 1730.

People woke up at different times (~2200) to eat, use the restroom, or get their coffee. We were on ropes by 2315 and on our way behind a relatively large group that started about 30-45 minutes before us. We opted to take breaks every hour or 1000', whichever came first.

Our pace was nothing high speed, but we were making great time by moving consistently and staying disciplined on breaks. We ended up passing the rather large group that started before us, and stayed ahead for the remainder of our climb. 

There is an obvious section full of seracs and crevasses that is a high risk area. Move diligently through there. You will know it when you are there for sure. There are several snow bridge crossings that might make some uneasy, but trust your team and trust your gear. Our rope teams moved fine through these sections without incident. The snowbridges all appeared to be firm as of 7-6-25. We did opt to use pickets and running belays on a particularly suspect snowbridge on our descent later in the day.

Some climbers experienced altitude symptoms after we hit the 12k' mark. This was to be expected with a group of 12. Inevitably some folks would be feeling the pressure. The more experienced leaders handled this with grace. We took breaks as needed to ensure individuals were okay and to do checks. All was fine, and we proceeded. 

We reached the massive bergschrund and ran it out to the end where there is a beautiful snowbridge. We made it to this flat section just in time for a glorious sunrise from the East. The alpine glow and colors on Rainier that morning were incredible. It was everything a climber could have hoped for, including views of all the surrounding volcanoes and mountain layers.

We ultimately summited around 0630 and took our time resting and taking pictures at the top. We marched over to Columbia Crest and signed the summit log for good measure. There were some really amazing ice cave features to see from the fumaroles on the way. The JA SIG successfully summited with 12/12 people and surprisingly minimal shenanigans. It was an incredible and cathartic moment to finally take the summit of Washington's largest volcano.

The group made it back down just before 1200 on July 6th to Emmons Flats/Camp Schurman. We tried to pack in several hundred calories, chug some water, rest, and quickly clean up camp to make a hasty exit. After making our last bathroom breaks at Camp Schurman, the group made the traverse over to Curtis Ridge, did one last scramble to the top, and began our final descent into Glacier Basin and back to the TH. 

Once we made it to the Interglacier, it was time for the ultimate glissade. We chewed up somewhere between 2,000-3,000ft of vertical descent on our bottoms, and team morale couldn't have been higher as our accomplishment began to set in. We leisurely walked out the remaining 5 miles back to White River Campground and were back to the cars by 1830.

This trip was a little Mount Rainier magic to conclude an amazing first chapter of next generation's mountaineers.

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