[ikell]

Decided to take advantage of the great weather to take my first shot at Rainier this past weekend (7/28 and 7/29). Bryan (Gneiss), with two previous summits, would be the wing man, leader, spirit guide, and self-nominated booze mule. I've had my eye on the Emmons-Winthrop route, and recent beta via NHW, CC, and the blog told an accurate story: The normal route up Emmons via the corridor has been compromised by sketchy traverses under objective icefall danger, so someone had recently threaded an alternate route from Camp Schurman directly up the Winthrop glacier, rounding plenty o' crevasses in the first 1,500 ft where the glacier is steep, then making an easy ascent up the relatively smooth upper Winthrop to the summit. The trip went off without a hitch, it was perfection. Couldn't of picked a better friend and partner, weekend/weather, or route conditions to finally lose my Rainier V-card. Quick stats: Left the White River TH around 8:30am on Saturday 7/28, made Schurman around 2:30pm Left camp around 2:15am on Sunday and summited around 7am, after passing about 7 parties Back at the car by 3pm for a warm beer, Seattle by 6pm Some pix: The Object of Our Desire: Rainier and Little T from near the trailhead

InterGlacier had great snow conditions (and heading down next day, the legendary 2,000 ft glissade was game on)

View of the winding route up the Winthrop from Camp Schurman

Camp Schurman starts to settle down for the evening on Saturday

Bryan enjoys some vino tinto at the hut. A nice fifth of bourbon was also killed at camp (Woodford?).

Sunrise while ascending the Winthrop, around 5am

Bryan leading near the top (around 14,000 ft)

Summit time! The wind was biting and brisk on top, so we only spent a few minutes for pictures, then relaxed at the summit register behind a rock. Views south toward Adams, and climbers in the crater on the DC route. Thumbs up, boys

Heading back down, nearing Camp Schurman, with Emmons Glacier beyond and a pretty extensive debris field in the foreground

Post-script: My wife was understanding enough to let me take a shot on our anniversary weekend, our 12th. She wanted to know all those weekends watching our two young boys while I climbed and trained this year would be put to good use (it was more an ultimatum to get it done). I sent her this picture from the summit via facebook, and made it home in time for dinner.

[gneiss]

Great trip man!