Trip Report    

Intermediate Alpine Climb - Camp Muir & Anvil Rock

It started out as a bluebird day and super warm. By the time we reached Camp Muir we noticed lowland clouds had settled in below us. We quickly ate and drank some food, added layers and transitioned to downhill mode, spending roughly 15-20 min total at Muir. The snow was super fun powder the entire way down. However, we encountered a severe whiteout around roughly 8-8.5k with only a few feet of visibility at times. A typical Rainier day (bluebird to whiteout). Thankfully, we had GPS tracks and were forced to leapfrog and navigate by gps until roughly 300 vertical ft above Paradise. Nothing alarming, just tedious. However, a GPS track was critical in our safe return. Note, that a lone snowshoer ended up being benighted near Panorama Point that evening and had SAR teams dispatched. It all ended well and just wanted to make note since it's relevant given that a seemingly beautiful day can turn quickly in the mountains. GPS or other solid navigation tools plus an extensive emergency plan is critical.

Leigh Ann Wolfe

March 02, 2020