Entries By evan sather

RMI Guides Josh Geiser and Evan Sather joined many guide services last weekend in the first annual Sandy Camp clean-up project. Josh had the following to say about their weekend on Mt. Baker:

"We had a great time representing RMI for the first annual Sandy Camp cleanup on Mount Baker. After a summer of heavy use, it was great to put our Leave No Trace (LNT) principles into practice helping to clean up an area that we all share. It was also nice to see guides from so many other companies coming out to help and make new connections across guide services. In total, we cleaned up 74 used blue bags as well as a bunch of other trash scattered throughout the camp.”

Sandy Camp is an alpine camp used along the Easton glacier route of Mt. Baker, one of the most popular standard routes on Mt. Baker. All recreational activities including climbers are expected to pack out what they pack in and dispose of their waste properly (LNT Principle #3). Leave No Trace (LNT) principles are an important part of recreating, especially in the Mt. Baker National Recreation Area, operated by the USDA Forest Service. This includes all kinds of waste, especially human waste. The Sandy Camp clean-up event spent a lot of the focus on improperly disposed of human waste and toilet paper.

Proper disposal of human waste helps to avoid negative impacts on water sources, minimize the possibility of spreading disease, and maximize the rate of decomposition. As the fragile alpine settings of Mt. Baker and the surrounding trails are becoming more popular, it becomes increasingly important to practice Leave No Trace principles to ensure the long-term sustainability of these beautiful places.

Join us in practicing Leave No Trace principles while recreating! You can learn more about Leave No Trace principles at lnt.org.

RMI Guide Joe Hoch reported beautiful views from their climb of Mt. Shuksan yesterday. Joe reported the following message from the summit: "Despite ominous smoke plumes all around us, we had a spectacular summit with a clear sky, warm temps, and views of so many mountains!"

The team has made it back to their cars and are headed home after their successful summit of Mt. Shuksan.

Congrats team!

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Shuksan August 26 - 31 reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier today around 11 am PT.  RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Evan Sather are leading the six day seminar and reported a beautiful day with a light breeze.  Prior to their summit attempt the team conducted basic mountaineering skills training.  Their training will continue and expand to include anchor placements, various self and team crevasse rescue techniques, belays, rappelling, knots, route finding and fixed rope travel. Thus giving them sufficient skills to continue their mountaineering persuits.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guide James Bealer and team have made it to the summit of Mt. Baker this afternoon. After the team's walk into camp yesterday, they enjoyed a late afternoon training session where they covered self-arrest, cramponing, and rope travel before heading to bed in preparation for their climb today. The team will return to camp tonight and walk back to the trailhead tomorrow.

Congrats climbers!

The Four Day Teams August 10 - 13 led by RMI Guides Steve Gately and Avery Parrinello reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  Clear skies and warm temps were enjoyed by the climbers.  Around 7:30 am the teams started their descent from the crater rim.  All teams will return to Camp Muir for a quick break before continuing the remaining 4.5 miles and 4,500' to Paradise.  They will conclude thier program with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Four Day Climbs August 7 - 10 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Ben Ammon reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  As of 7:30 am the teams were at 13,100' on their descent. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise.

The program will conclude this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers.

The Four Day Climb for August 1 - 4 led by RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Joe Hoch were unable to summit today due to a descending cloud and gusty winds. The teams reached the top of Disappointment Cleaver but were unable to continue due to weather.  As of 7 am the teams were safely back at Camp Muir.  They plan leave Camp Muir around 9 am to make the remaining 4,500' descent to Paradise.  We look forward to seeing the teams at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.

The Four Day Climb July 13 - 16 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today led by RMI Guides JT Schmitt and Joe Hoch.  The teams reported winds around 45 mph towards the summit.  That means they didn't spend much time on top today.  As of 7 am they were on their descent and headed back to Camp Muir. The teams will continue down from Camp Muir later this morning and return to Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon for their celebration ceremony.

Congratulations to the Footprints of Fight climbers!

The Glacier Peak Climb with RMI Guide James Bealer reached the 10,541' Summit yesterday. The team spent most of the approach to high camp in the clouds, but got incredibly lucky on summit day, as the clouds parted, and the peak showed off beautiful hues of pink. The team had a clear day for climbing.  For two of the team members this summit completes their quest to climb all FIVE Washington Volcanoes! 

The team will descend about seven and a half miles to the trailhead today and celebrate in Darrington.

Congratulations Team! 

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Mike King has had a successful week of training and Denali Prep. While weather and route conditions kept the team on the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier, they were able to take advantage of the time to hone in on their mountaineering skills. The team trained on and discussed the following topics; avalanche forecasting, route finding, crevasse rescue, camp building, and various glacier travel techniques. 

Congratulations Team!