Mount Rainier/Emmons Glacier

Mon, Jun 29, 2015 (approach to Camp Schurmann) — Tue, Jun 30, 2015 (Summit)

Successful and challenging two-day climb of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons glacier in what appears to be late-summer conditions.

No snow all the way up to the InterGlacier. No crevasses visible on the IG. Camp sites on Camp Curtis are dry except site #1 which is wet from runoff. Step-across to short jump-across crevasses on the Emmons after descending from Camp Curtis and traversing to Camp Schurmann, getting wider from the day it seems.

Many groups at Camp Schurmann. One had been there 5 days waiting to summit on what was originally a 3-day plan with an extra spill-over day. There was an IMG group that was practicing snow skills, looking like they might make a bid on Wednesday.

The route from Camp Schurman is heavily melted out, perhaps to late summer levels. Large, open crevasses were present with thin and weak snow bridges. Pickets we required to protect the crossings. The rangers station said the route was still good with climbers diverting onto Liberty Saddle to get around the bergschrund, which is the way the team went.