Shominy's Adventuring Shenanigans

... and....

BACK.

The weather was unusually cooperartive with sun and 10-20 mph winds for the two days on the stratovolcano. We set upward at 5AM and made summit in <11hrs so decided to pitch and spend the night at 14,411 MSL. Again, spectacularly clean sunset, an incredibly black velvet sky that night, blending to a great sunrise on the 29th. 8.5hrs. back down in the same weather conditions.

 

Welcome home, Dean!
Now,

 

So here we go.

About eight miles in from base camp and down below Mystic Lake, we encountered Carbon Glacier. This is a really dirty glacier, as it's name suggests, and looks like dog poop . Piled over with moraine, soil and rock it really is the opposite of pristine. Much of the debris is due to avalanche and rockfall from above- right where we are going! This is one of the reasons that there are SARs and deaths on this route every year. We all were wearing avalanche beacons, just in case...

It does have a couple of superlatives tho:
-- it is the lowest elevation glacier in CONUS.
-- being about 6mi long and up to 700ft thick, it is the greatest in both measures in CONUS, and therefore wins in volume as well.

Back to what we were up to here- this is the end of the glacier which pours its soul into the Carbon River. The very cool waterfalls out of the glacier made a refreshing place for breakfast.

Carbon was a bit rough to traverse, what with all of the topical debris and we have to clear this glacier to reach Liberty Ridge.

 

That's pretty cool, but may I point out that "pics" is plural?

 

Why bother with audio. This is more interesting.
Perhaps one day you'll provide us with a descriptive tale from someplace tropical.

 

Yeah, they're coming.

 

Danke.

Eh, tropical. I am a northern sorta guy and have never been below the 36th.

 

After getting near the top of Carbon Glacier, we are treated to this view; Carbon is at the bottom right half. Liberty Ridge (our route) is the 'spine' right of center, and we will follow that up to Liberty Cap (the apparent summit in this photo). I say "apparent" because the actual summit at 14,411' is 20 mins beyond that, at Columbia on the other side of the caldera. But to get there, we have to descend off of our perch and cross the region that you see separating us from Lib Ridge.

Crevasses are a danger here because of the lateral stresses this glacial mass feels as it splits into Carbon (R) and Winthrop (L) glaciers. EYES OPEN! Fortunately, there has been no recent snowfall to create trap door situations.

Look at that snow/ice sheet that will be above us while moving up Liberty. Though not peak avalanche season, it can happen at any time and the danger today, really the last three days, is the sun's warmth having weakened it. Rockfalls are available to any climber year-round, so.....

We did hear a distant, resonant, echo-ey crack about 10 mins after this shot and when we looked, there was a (small?) avalanche occurring on the Willis Wall, which is what you see to the left of Liberty Ridge. Here we go, game on...

 

This quote will remain with me. I've always felt this way, though. No one goes to their grave wishing they worked more hours. Yet I know a few who believe their job is their life.

 

The Winthrop/Carbon crossing and as expected, crevasse dangers. No rope and fall into one means little hope.


Getting on with the Liberty Ridge ascent. Finn in orange, me in green leading this pitch. This climb was a sometimes 50 degree climb. Must.... keep... eyes... and... ears... alert to ice and rock falls from above (and from under our feet- yikes !)

 

Wow, really great stuff Dean! I'm enjoying this thread very much.

 

Thanks, Terence.

 

Awesome adventures! Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks, Dean. That is way cool.
I was having a hard time understanding the first glacier picture. I am a water rat by nature.

Thomas

 

After clearing Liberty Ridge, a look back at the crevasse field on Carbon and Winthrop that we negotiated two hours before.




Another view of the ice wall climb, and Mark leading the pitch, to get atop the upper snowfield between Lib Ridge and Lib Cap.

 

On the upper snowfield in the march to Liberty Cap.

 

Another view- Finn at the top of Liberty Ridge with me, and Mark trailing below, ready to ascend the ice wall up onto the snowfield. Looking eastward from our north side route on Rainier.

 

There is more to come on the Rainier trip, but I wanted to alert all to a thread I started here
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/where-i-am-at-home-one-a-day.841239/

I think that you will enjoy what is there.

 

Welp, after a small accident it was fortunate that each of us brought backup jackets- otherwise...

Anyway, topped-out on Liberty Cap. Still not at the true summit.


Crossing over Liberty Cap and seeing the caldera- Mark leads us into it.


Some summiting relief and funny business because... WE MADE IT, DAMMIT !!

 

Now, for a little socialization with another pair of summitters who were already on top of the rock when we arrived. It seems that we were the only climbers who climbed the north side of the mountain. Everyone we spoke with came up from Paradise and through Camp Muir on the south side (the popular route)

Finn and me (under the red helmet).



Another, very nice pair of ladies on the rock- Annie and Lynn.


20 more minutes and we reached Columbia Crest- the true summit at 14,411'. Yay! That is me on the hump. I was not on this spot the first climb and it just felt different.