The storm hitting us at Camp Muir originated in the tropics and we wouldn't have been surprised to see palm fronds waving in the breeze given how unseasonably warm it is up here. Yes, it's still snowing, but just. And for being at 10,000' that's warm! We started our day discussing numerous topics in the Bunkhouse, but ventured out by mid morning. Equipped though we were with full on Gortex storm gear it took less than an hour for the moisture in the cloud enveloping our world to permeate the vaunted membrane of our rain gear. But we persevered and got some great training in, developing our expertise in handling running belays and evaluating snow stability through studying snow pits. Lunchtime found us back inside, thankful for the plywood protection of our bunkhouse and trying to dry out our external layers through our bodies natural internal combustion. It does work, but slowly. There was plenty to talk about through the afternoon, and when queried whether anyone wanted more outdoor training a decided no was the response. A smart group! The evening culminated with war stories of Everest and beyond. Now that we're back in our old sleeping bags the weather gods are unleashing a tempest like no other. All we can hope is that this big bad storm is blowing itself out. Dreams of a pleasant descent tomorrow morning might allow some well deserved sleep tonight. Goodnight from Camp Muir. RMI Guide Brent Okita

Everyone is doing great on day four of our seminar. A hard day up to Muir was followed by a full day of training on Tuesday in increasingly challenging weather conditions. Today dawned sunny but quite windy. As forecasted, the winds stayed strong throughout the day. Not being one to let a little wind get in the way of some great training, we did have to moderate our plans to cope with the 40-45 mph sheets of blowing snow that swept thru Muir all day. Sticking close to camp allowed us to bail back to the bunkhouse for the occasional break. There were no complaints about not getting out on the glacier for the day. An earlier exploration by Mike and me proved the winds were just as strong out there as at camp. Anchors, crevasse rescue, fixed rope work and rappelling filled the day completely. And for the evening: mountain medicine and mountain weather is on the docket. We're looking forward to another good day of training tomorrow, though we might have to deal with another little storm to keep us honest. Alas, I'm afraid a summit bid has been shelved due to the increasing avalanche hazard up high. We're safe here at camp, and that's how we'd like to keep it. All for now. The crew at Muir

RMI Guides Brent Okita and Mike King are back on Mt. Rainier along with climbers on the Expedition Skills Seminar - Winter. The team gathered at Rainier BaseCamp on Sunday for a day of technical training, gear checks and packing. With clear roads on Monday morning they headed for Paradise and made the push all the way to Camp Muir. Today the team trained near Camp Muir with cramponing, rope travel and ice axe arrest practice while Brent and RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli kicked in the route above Camp Muir and investigated the current conditions. The team will continue training this week with the hope of making a summit attempt before their return on Friday.