Entries By evan sather

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz June 23 - 28, 2023 checked in this morning from the summit crater.  After two days of training at Rainier BaseCamp and Paradise the team headed onto the mountain.  With several days to train and ascend, the team launched their summit attempt this morning, reaching the crater before 7 am.  After enjoying some time on top, the team is now on their descent. RMI Guide Mike Haugen reported a beautiful day with light winds.  The team will return to Paradise later this afternoon and be transferred back to Rainier BaseCamp to complete their program.

Nice work team!

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons June 17 - 22 led by RMI Guide Hannah Smith made the difficult decision to turn around today at 13,500'.  Hannah reported difficult snow conditions and a lack of established trail due to the new snow accumulations over the last few days. The climbers have returned to Camp Schurman where they will spend their final night on the mountain.  Tomorrow the team will do some crevasse rescue training before descending to the trailhead and returning to Rainier BaseCamp later in the day.

The Four Day Climb June 12 - 15 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita & Hannah Smith reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just before 7 am PT.  Brent reported gusty winds during their climb today. The teams didn't stay long on the summit and are descending to Camp Muir.  After a short stop at Camp Muir the teams will continue down to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Five Day Climb June 1 - 5 led by RMI Guides Steve Gately and Avery Parinello reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The team enjoyed some time in the crater and reported a very pleasant climb although a bit cold and windy.  They started their descent from the crater rim at 8 am and will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuning the remaining 4,500' to Paradise later today.  Their program will conclude this afternoon with ceremony at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Four-Day climbs led by Eric Frank and Jack Delaney reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Lead Guide Eric Frank reported a gorgeous day and some of the best weather he's had in recent years.

The teams were starting their descent this morning around 9:30AM PT and will be back at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon. Nice work!

Our first Kautz seminar called in from the top of Mt. Rainier this morning! RMI guide Joe Hoch reported a sunny day despite the cold, windy weather surrounding them.

The team is on their descent to camp tonight and will return to Basecamp tomorrow afternoon. 

Congrats climbers!

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!