[Hoosierdaddy]

Well gang, we didn't make it. (Sob!!, my first destination failure!) Read on.... My 14 year old son, (Adam) Eight fellow Mountaineers & I met up with Rainrunner and her friend, Carrie (sp?) at Paradise on Mt. Rainier (5400') and started hiking at about 9:30 AM yesterday. Initially, decent weather with temps about 45 degrees, making the snow a little slushy, but OK for kick stepping. The skies were cloudy up to Panorama point, then briefly opened up for one magnificent view of the mountain for about 30 seconds, then quickly closed in. In very foggy conditions we trudged along from one wand to the next (that had been previously placed about 100' apart by the NPS) along the route. It started to snow, lightly at first, then heavier, and then the wind began. The higher we went, the more intense it all became! We got to 8000' and the snow had now turned to stinging ice pellets being driven sideways into our faces by 30 - 40 MPH winds! Because of that and the fog, we simply couldn't see the next wand anymore! It was a whiteout!!! We quickly got the he** outta there as did many others that were also on the mountain. On the way out, when we were about a mile from the parking lot on the Alta Vista trail, we heard a TREMENDOUS rock avalanche close behind us coming from just above the Nisqually glacier! It was incredibly loud and frightening cause we couldn't see a thing due to the fog & snow. We didn't know if we were in the path of imminent death or not! It went on for a couple of minutes before subsiding! Whew!!! Can you say "Pucker factor???" By the time we made it back to the cars, the snow had turned to mixed rain/snow. We stopped on the way down at Copper Creek Inn where Rainrunner & Carrie got a quick latte (having to leave early) and the rest of us pigged out on some great food! An interesting day on the mountain all in all. Here's some photos: http://community.webshots.com/photo/141544346/141545836kZjitv

[MooseAndSquirrel]

You're lucky to be alive! Did ya check the forecast? Thunderstorms were predicted for the region.

[sarbar]

And Rainrunner lived to tell me all about it today...in yet another whiteout

[rainrunner]

I definitely didn't have luck on my side this weekend!

[hikerjo]

Your trip sounds similar to one I experienced several years ago. We were heading up to Camp Muir carrying snowboards and the weather was really iffy. The clouds kept blowing in and out, visibility was very limited. Finally I started to get pissed because I didn’t want to have to carry my board back down through a cloud, so we stopped just short of Muir when a little weather window opened. Just as we were lacing up our boots we got socked in again and we heard this tremendous rock fall. There were a couple of parties next to us and everyone just stopped, listened, and waited. It was kind of eerie; you could hear individual boulders tumbling in the slide. It must have lasted for thirty seconds. After waiting around for a while another window of weather opened and we hauled arse down. To this day it’s been one of my favorite runs.

[dicentra]

[sarbar]

So should we make Rainy walk far ahead of us so we get the sunny weather?

[dicentra]

Hmmm... You might have something there. She did that on the Hoh trip and we didn't get rained on.... Hehehe We love you Rainy!

[sarbar]

hehheh!! Let's let her run ahead of us on saturday!! Then we will have sunny skies

[rainrunner]

So who's gonna go ahead with me...and provide protection from the cougars? I'm not sacrificing myself for sunshine!