8:10am: The climb is on, everything is packed, there are ants in my climbing pants.
9:50am: Two fully loaded packs, 180 wands, one Rage Against the Machine CD, Andy Johnson, myself and one overloaded Geo Metro depart Pheasant Run Apartments and disappear into the fog.
11:30am: After two coffee stops, the Geo has been retrofitted with the required snow chains, a climbing permit has been acquired and we are on the way to Paradise.
1:00pm: Double plastic boots are on, liberal quantities of sun screen have been applied, the last flushing toilet has been visited. We are on the way.
2:10pm: We have made it to Pan Point. About 12 inches of fresh snow has fallen in the past 48 hours. Mid level cloud are moving in. Stopping for water and candy bar.
3:30pm: We have climbed through the mid level clouds and have stopped for another break just above Moon Rocks. The wind is beginning to blow from the NE.
| Mount Adams from the Muir Snowfield |
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The Upper Mountain from the Muir Snowfield |
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4:45pm: About 200 yard from Camp Muir, two climbers sitting in the snow are passed. They say, "We have seen better days, but we are okay." The wind is now sustained at about 15 miles per hour with stronger gusts. No cloud of spin drift seems to miss us as we ascend the last 200 feet to Camp Muir.
5:15pm: Stoves are lit, parkas are on.
6:00pm: Hmmm? I wonder wear those two climbers are? After a drink of hot chocolate, I exit the shelter to retrieve snow to melt for water. The wind has increased, the sun is long gone. A stuff sack containing a sleeping bag has been deposited at the foot of the stairs outside the shelter. Looking down the Muir Snowfield, I see two lights.
6:15pm: A climber appears at the doorway and asks where the shelter is. We inform him that this is the shelter. After finishing his seafood chowder, Andy descends with the climber and returns with both climbers and several hundred pounds of gear.
8:00pm: We have obtained the following information about the two climbers:
They are Marines from South Carolina
Neither has climbed Rainier before and have no idea what an avalanche, crevasse, glacier or an alpine start are
Both are having trouble dealing with the altitude
They don't know how to melt snow
They should not be here
Andy and I have agreed that the probability of reaching the summit are slim at best and decide to sleep until 4:00am and make the goal a recon of the Gibralter ledge with a possibility of trying for the summit if things are just right.
9:00pm: Candle lantern is blown out
10:00pm: One marine exits shelter to throw-up.
