Entries By evan sather

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! 

RMI Guides James Bealer and Bryan Mazaika led their Five Day Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The teams reached the crater rim at 6:15 am.  It's a beautiful day with blue sky and no winds. After taking in the views and getting all the photos the team started their descent.  They will return to Camp Muir, pack their gear and continue the remaining 4.5 miles back to Paradise.  We look forward to greeting them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon where they will celebrate their efforts and good fortune before completing their program.

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Kiira Antenucci reached Ingraham Flats at 11,200' on their summit attempt before poor weather forced them to turn and retreat to shelter of Camp Muir. The team is going to enjoy the morning on the mountain before descending. 

Congratulations to today's team! 

Hello world, it’s us the Camp Muir Seminar!

Yesterday, we awoke early, donned our technical gear and launched towards the Ingraham flats to train before the next storm system hit in the mid afternoon. Sadly the storm had other plans and hit Camp Muir around 9am. We retreated in a white out with winds averaging 58mph during our time on the Cowlitz glacier. The storm has been impressive in its power and consistency. It is not snowing so much as it is launching ice pellets at us with high velocity. Moral stayed high as we continued to practice various technical skills in the bunkhouse. The team took brief forays into the violent snow globe that was the outside world to shovel out the bathroom. We were highly motivated to maintain our access to the facilities.

We are excited to find a lull in the weather to head down hill, dry out and enjoy some pizza and beer at the Basecamp Bar and Grill. 

All is well - The Muir Seminar Team

There we were, finished up with our day of training, enjoying the amenities of the Gombu Hut. A screeching howl ripped across Camp Muir - the wind was here. We spent the rest of the evening discussing altitude illness and taking bets on the high score for strongest gust. Ends up we were all wrong, so so wrong. The darkness fell and our winds averaged 70mph with gusts in the 90mph. Things were knocking, shelters were rocking, and we hunkered down. This morning we awoke to thick solid ice rime covering the surface of our world. We affixed Everest style hand lines to the bathroom. Full battle gear mandatory. Today we will practice the most important mountain skill, entertaining ourselves while the storm rages.

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Muir Seminar signing off, till tomorrow...