Paradise Parking Lot

The main climbing route on Mount Rainier via Camp Muir and the Disappointment Cleaver can be described as a "zoo". Not only this is the most common route for climbers, tourist like to take the hike up to Camp Muir and back as a day hike. The trail can be packed with hikers shoulder to shoulder. On the other hand, the Kautz Glacier route is less popular with climbers, and it requires that one crosses the Nisqually Glacier with it's many open crevasses, leaving the tourists behind.

After crossing the Nisqually, our route ascended steeply to the ridge above the Wilson Glacier, and we set up our first camp on a large flat snow shelf at elevation of 7,800 ft. It rained on us a bit that evening. Starting early the following day we continued up the ridge along the edge of the Wilson Glacier and up through the "Turtle Snowfield" to Camp Hazard.

They say that camp Hazard is named after a person, but I think there is more too it. Camp Hazard is located on a high ridge at 11,600 ft. The rock ridge continues for additional several hundreds of feet to a point where it is covered by the open edge of the Kautz Glacier. Looking from below, it is amazing that the entire glacier doesn't simply come crashing down and cover the entire area, but it doesn't, if flows to the left and to the right leaving the ridge bare.

We didn't plan to go all the way up to camp Hazard. It was a mistake, which cost Ted his summit bid, but of course we didn't know that at the time. Melting snow into drinking water is a laborious job. We had spent a couple of hours every night doing just that. Near camp Hazard there were 2 sources of running water, apparently, glacier melt. Ted traverse the snow field to our right to try to catch some of this water, and while collecting water some rocks came tumbling down hitting his foot. Even though he was wearing plastic boots, the injury was too great for him to feel comfortable to push for the summit the following day. After watching the rock fall activity for 2 days, I think the topography of the area creates 2 natural drainage paths, running either side of the ridge, which supports the camp. These drainage paths carry everything the glacier releases down the mountain, water melt, chunks of ice, and rock debris. You want to collect the water; you are likely to collect some rocks too. The camp itself is protected by the unusual topography, but I understand that it does get hit every so often, hence, the ranger recommends against staying there.

Friday dawned clear and bright, but we didn't wait for dawn. We were up at 2 AM and started climbing around 3

Location: Mount Rainier, WA
Photographer: Ron Karpel
Email: ronny@karpel.org
Phone: 415-987-5109
Date: July 2000
ID: 20000705_01

Mount Rainier

Camp Muir Trail

Nisqually