
Trip Report
Winter overnight - Mazama Ridge
An extended weekend of winter camping at Mount Rainier! Starting from Narada Falls, we set up a base camp on Mazama Ridge and had a day trip up to Panorama Point.
- Sat, Jan 11, 2025 — Mon, Jan 13, 2025
- Mazama Ridge (Mount Rainier)
- Snowshoeing
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Moderate avy danger at/above treeline; primary problem was wind slabs.
After meeting at the Longmire parking lot for introductions and a review of the day's route and avy/weather forecasts, we headed up to our trailhead at Narada Falls.
The day's weather forecast called for cloudy skies, winds in the mid-teens, and approximately 1" of new snow. We ended up experiencing that plus a lot more snow.
Carrying heavy packs with 4-season tents and 2 nights' worth of supplies, we lumbered up to Stevens Canyon Road and then took the Lower Lakes trail to Inspiration Saddle. We then turned east, on the High Lakes trail.
We saw evidence of critters, and were thrilled that one of our trekkers is an expert at identifying tracks!
We then turned north, following the western edge of Mazama Ridge:
We found a flat, sheltered campsite and then set up our tents and communal kitchen.
After an early dinner, we all hunkered down in our tents to stay warm and dry.
The next morning was GLORIOUS! It is such a cool feeling to be up on the mountain before the Longmire gate opens...you feel like you have the whole park to yourself.
Since this was a 2-night trip, we had an entire day to explore. Up to Panorama Point we went.
No surprise, it was very windy up at Pan Point:
After a quick break at Pan Point we returned to a lovely evening in camp.
The next morning - our final day - we woke to another stunning sunrise.
We packed up, re-buried our communal kitchen, and then headed south, along the eastern edge of Mazama Ridge.
And enjoyed a short break at Faraway Rock before returning to the trailhead.
It was a fantastic trip. A couple lessons learned:
- Bury your blue bags immediately, as birds will immediately attempt to take them away. (The runaway blue bag was caught!)
- Make absolutely positively sure that your pee bottle is screwed tight. One of our lucky folks woke up to an empty pee bottle and a soaking wet pair of pants.
Here's a map of our route: