I was blessed with another stunning day on the summit of Rainier yesterday. Once again, it was so clear that Mt. Jefferson was clearly visible (150 miles away in central Oregon). Olympics and Baker were in clouds, but Glacier and Stewart were out. Could also see downtown Seattle and Puget Sound through some low haze.
Left White River Campground (4300') about 10 am Saturday and arrived at Camp Sherman (9700') around 6 pm. 7 people in the party; 2 snowboarders (including Dan McHale of McHale packs), 3 randoneé, 2 telemarkers. To bed by 9:30, still lots of light in the sky. Got up at 2 am to pee; stunning light show: not just the stars overhead but also the lights of Seattle and the headlamps of the climbers who had already left camp. Up at 3:30 with twilight in the northeast behind the Stewart range. Roped up and left camp by 5:20, just before dawn. Did not follow "The Corridor" (the standard route) up the Emmons Glacier but instead left it at about 11,000' and traversed NW to the Winthrop Glacier on a good ramp (this is a better route for skiing than the standard route). Then up the Winthrop to the bergschrund where we rejoined the standard route just below the crater rim. Arrived at crater rim (14,200') about 12:45 and unroped, spent a few minutes on the summit (14,411') but it was very windy (~30 knots). We were the second-to-last party on the summit; climbing parties have an earlier schedule than skiers as they want hard snow and we wanted soft snow. Started skiing from the rim about 2 pm. First 1500' were very hard and windblown, but you could set an edge. Then packed powder (!) conditions to the freezing level (about 12,000'), from there on down sun-warmed and soft. No cravasses visible on the route except for the bergschrund below the summit which was well filled in where we crossed. However, the ramp from the Winthrop back to the the Emmons was just above a very nasty icefall which definitely gave one some pause; fortunately the snow was soft. Back to camp around 3:30. Packed up and was able to ski down to around 6000'; got back to the cars about 8 pm.
I'm very sore but stoked.
Rob