Ice Caves of Mt. Rainier: An Expedition Beneath the Summit Caldera

Tacoma Branch  Mountaineers 3rd Friday Open House & Adventure Speaker Series

Doors open at 6:30pm

7pm – Come see our great orientation show of the programs and courses offered by the Tacoma Mountaineers. We welcome new members, prospects and friends. Bring the family to see what we do including climbing and scrambling, sea kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, social & family activities, first aid, sailing, navigation, avalanche training, and more. This will be a chance to visit with committee people in activities of interest to you.

7:45pm-"Ice Caves of Mt. Rainier: An Expedition Beneath the Summit Caldera." 

U.S. Geological Survey scientist Matt Bachmann, a Tacoma branch member, presents on how he spent a week on Mt. Rainier in August 2014 to explore, map, and collect samples from ice caves under the mountain's summit crater.  Climbing with a team that included volunteer cavers, scientists, a newspaper reporter and a professional photographer, the group planned to spend a week camped in the summit crater but was met with blistering winds, a lightning storm, several feet of new snow, and two cases of pulmonary edema.  After some restructuring of rope teams and a quick resupply mission back to town, the team was able to summit on August 15th and spent three days in the caves.