Mt. Rainier, Lower Nisqually Glacier 9-3-11

Foursquare Mountaineering took a trip up to Mt. Rainier to have some fun and hone our mountaineering skills.  We set out to find the biggest, baddest crevasse on the lower Nisqually Glacier.  We found it!  It had deep vertical walls made of hard ice.  It was topped off with a layer of last winter's soft snow.  We spent the day rappelling, ice climbing, prusiking and setting up a z-pulley rescue system.

The first thing we did was set up a few bombproof anchors and safety lines.  Dan, Dennis, Jim and Caroline.

Dennis, Jim and Doug watching Dave finish his climb up from the bottom.

Jim rappelling into the abyss.

Dan moving up the rope with ascenders.

We even managed to find a snow bridge on the way out.

It was good to spend the day up on the mountain with friends.  Now some of those harder routes on Rainier seem just a little bit easier and if one of us falls into a hidden crevasse, we will all know what to do.  

Ingalls Lake 8-27-11

If you are looking for some awesome scenery close to home, Ingalls Lake is the place to go.  Dave, Dani, Wendy, Mark (and Doug) taking a break on the way up to Ingalls Pass.

We saw a lot of mountain goats on this trip.

It was a warm day and people were cooling off in the lake.

Mt. Stuart and Ingalls Lake.  What a view!

Mt. Adams, South Climb 7-9-11

Mt. Adams as seen from Trout Lake.  There was still a lot of snow on the mountain.

This was the first year that we were not able to drive to the trailhead. There were snow banks and a lot of downed trees blocking the way. We had to hike over 2 miles and 900 vertical feet just to get to the trailhead.

Even though there was a lot of snow down low and up high, we were pleased to discover that there was less than last year at Lunch Counter (9,300').  There were plenty of dry tent sites and running water.

Climbers making their way up the south face to the false summit.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

One group of climbers on the summit.  They are about 4,000’ higher than Mt. St. Helens, in the background.

Another group on top.  It was about 32 degrees and windy on the summit.

Climbing a mountain gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. You take on a big challenge with no guarantee of success.  You are actually out doing something that most people only dream about. Climbers must deal with the weather, snow conditions, high altitude, lack of sleep, loss of appetite, dehydration and fatigue, all while trying to maintain a positive mental attitude.  This year was harder than most. It was a big accomplishment just getting to Lunch Counter.  Congratulations to those that made it to the summit.

Mt. Shasta, Avalanche Gulch 6-25-11

Mt. Shasta had been on our radar for a while and since northern California had a good forecast, we decided to head south.  It is the second highest volcano in the lower 48 (Rainier is the highest).  This is the view from the trailhead at Bunny Flat (6,900').  The huge valley in this photo is Avalanche Gulch.  The route starts up the left side, goes around Helen Lake (10,400') and ends up on the right side.

We seem to spend a lot of time standing still and looking up.  The snow was firm and allowed us to make good time.  

We made it above the Red Banks in time to see the sunrise. There is nothing like watching a sunrise from high up on a mountain.  It was starting to get cold and windy. 

The shadow of Shasta is projected onto the countryside as the sun comes up.  Next, we had to climb a feature called Misery Hill and a few false summits.  We finally made it to the true summit.

Doug and Dave on the summit.  You would think that northern California would be warmer on June 25th, but it was cold at 14,162'!

When the conditions are good, you can glissade about 3,000' down this route.  The snow was still too firm, so we had to walk down.  There were still a lot of climbers heading up.  

All that was left was the long drive home.  We got to see a bunch of deer, antelope, turkey vultures and about 10 more snow covered volcanoes.

It was fun to take a road trip to a new area and finally climb this giant.

Mt. Rainier, Furher Finger 6-5-11

Mt. Rainier finally had a good weekend forecast, so it was time to attempt the Furher Finger route.

Our route is shown in red. We descended the Kautz Glacier route, shown in blue.
Dave on the Nisqually Glacier passing some crevasses on our way to high camp.
Our camp at Turtle Rock (9400').

We got an "alpine start" at midnight, so we could hopefully get to the top and down before the snow got too soft.  Dave moving up Furher Finger.

Doug near the Hourglass.
Doug and Dave on top with a little snow falling.
Dave below the steep pitches on the Kautz Glacier, just above the Turtle Snowfield.


The weather was great on day one and OK on summit day. The fresh snow from a few days earlier made the climb pretty tiring. We ended up using our snowshoes to keep from sinking into the mushy snow on the way down from high camp.

It was fun and challenging to climb a new route on Rainier.

Prusik Peak, West Ridge 9-4-10

Washington state is a great place to live if you are into climbing. Mountaineers fly in from all over the world to enjoy what this area offers. We can drive to some of these awesome destinations in just two hours!

We seem to make it up to the Stuart range at least once every year. This time we climbed Prusik Peak. The approach to the peak was as good as the climb. We went right through the heart of the Enchantments. There was still a lot of snow up there feeding the numerous small lakes.

This photo shows the south side of the peak. We would climb the north side of the west ridge.

A group of climbers ahead of us on the route. Two of them were from Chile.

Mark finishing one of the 5.7 sections of the climb.

Doug near the summit.

Another self-timer summit shot.

Little Annapurna, Dragontail Peak and some small lakes. What a view!

The fun was not over yet. It took 5 rappels to get back down.

We saw mountain goats all over the place on this trip.

It was another day making memories in a very special part of creation!

Glacier Peak 7-31-10

After years of trying, we finally made it up to climb Glacier Peak. At 10,541', it is the fifth highest peak in Washington. It is located northeast of Seattle, way out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, all aspects of the 15 mile approach are beautiful. It is hard to keep your eyes on the trail. The forest features huge Douglas fir and cedar trees.

The trail goes through about 7 miles of forest and then climbs up to join the Pacific Crest Trail. The hillsides are covered in Heather and numerous wildflowers. We must have crossed 20 small streams on the way.

After almost 10 miles of hiking, we get our first look at the mountain. At this point we are still several hours from our high camp.

The clouds started to roll in during the night. We had to get going earlier than we had planned to try to summit while we had a chance. Our route took us over parts of the Gerdine and Cool Glaciers. This large crevasse was near Disappointment Peak.

Climbers nearing the top.

Emily, Doug and Dave on the summit. The Glacier Peak Wilderness is full of inviting snow covered peaks.

We broke camp and started the long hike back to the car. As we headed out, clouds began to cover the mountain. Pretty soon we could hear distant thunder.

We saw a few marmots along the way.

Tiger Lilies beside the trail.

We made it back to the car before dark. The downpour began soon after that.

With the low elevation trailhead, the long approach and a lot of ups and downs, this climb was as taxing as climbing Mt. Rainier. It was nice to finally stand on top of the mountain that we have seen so many times from other summits.

Mt. Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge 7-18-10

Tina drove Mark and I around to Mowich Lake and dropped us off. We would have to climb Ptarmigan Ridge and descend the easier Emmons Glacier to get to the other car waiting at the White River Campground. This picture shows the northwest side of Mt. Rainier. Ptarmigan Ridge is on the left.

Moss covered rocks by a small creek.

The "entrance" to Spray Park.

Kids playing on the snow at Spray Park.

Colorful rocks and Indian paintbrush on the lower slopes of Ptarmigan Ridge.

This is what we came to climb! A steep 2,000' face, the icy chute below the buttress and a short rock climb.

Our route is shown in red.

The snow was absolutely perfect. It was firm, but not too hard for crampons or ice axes.

The air was about 40 degrees and calm. There wasn't any rock or ice fall while we were climbing.

Mark swinging his ice tool near the top of the face.

The sun rising near the Stuart Range as seen from 12,000'.

After climbing the face, we had two options. One was to go left and cross below a large ice cliff and get right on the Liberty Cap Glacier. We chose to go right, break out the ice screws and climb the icy chute below the rock buttress.

The ice was also in great shape.

The views looking down on the glaciers and valleys were amazing.

The last obstacle was this exit gully. It was a bit of a challenge to climb rock wearing crampons and carrying a large pack.

Our shadows projected onto the rock as we head towards Liberty Cap.

Climbers moving over the sun and wind sculpted snow at about 13,500'.

Mark checking out a bergschrund near the summit.

Doug and Mark on Liberty Cap.

A black bear at Glacier Basin.

It was a nice change to approach a climb on Mt. Rainier from a new area. It was great to finally make it up Ptarmigan Ridge. This is one climb we will never forget!