Camp Muir - 8/16/11

The clouds of Monday 8/15 disappeared overnight and 8/16 was a perfect blue sky day.  Camp Muir was the goal.  We started from the Paradise Visitor Center about 11 AM.  It was a late start because we had to drive a long ways in the morning to get gas!

We all later agreed that this day was the most fun and memorable of the trip.  Going up was fun, but glissading down in the snow was even more fun.  Boot sliding and butt sliding, we descended in 2 hours, after taking 3.5 hours to climb.  I think Zack and Nick were even faster coming down, since I lost sight of them half way down.

Start Elev. at Paradise:  5400'

Camp Muir Elev.:10188'

Elev. Gain:  4788'

Total Hike Time:  5.5 hrs    (brochure said 6-8 hrs) 

Make sure to load the coordinates into a GPS in case you get a whiteout

Perfect Blue Sky - Mt. Rainier from Paradise Visitor Center

From partway up Rainier looking south (towards Mt. Adams?)

Zack and Nick along the trail on the way up

Zack pondering Rainier

A large waterfall to the west of our trail

Guide building at Camp Muir

Hikers shelter at Camp Muir

Ranger building at Camp Muir

A Rainier climbing group at Camp Muir

Guide Service Building

A closeup

Telemark skiers and a snowboarder

The hiker's shelter

Plaque on the hiker's shelter

Inside the hiker's shelter

Mike & Leesa at Camp Muir

Leesa and Mike at hiker's shelter

Zack and Nick at Camp Muir

Zack at Camp Muir

Leesa on the way down

Leesa still on her way down

Sliding chute!

  

Leesa decided to take the easy (and fun) way down

Interesting windblown pattern

Friends in High Places (Marmot) - We saw lots of these!

Off the Muir Snowfield at Pebble Creek

Flowers everywhere below the snowline

Back to Paradise

The combination of the perfect weather, the snowfield, the flowers, the glaciers and the high mountain camp made for an incredible day.  I got a little sunburn on my legs by not putting on enough sunscreen, but that was a small price to pay.