While doing the 10 Highest Peaks in Washington State I still had to do Mount Rainier as it is the tallest peak. I had spent June and July down in South America so once I came back I still had to climb both Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. Amar Andalkar and I decided to ride the Emmons Glacier in August to get my final peak of the list.

Climbing up the Emmons Glacier in August

We woke up with the morning sun and arriving at the White River trail on Mt. Rainier around noon. After filling our backpacks to the brim with food, shelter and climbing equipment we were off. Amar and I hiked the four miles up to Glacier Basin and up the Interglacier. It had been well over three months since I had last been in this area. On my last trip we were riding the Interglacier with three feet of powder leaving a perma-grin on my face.

We reached Camp Schurman (the base camp for the Emmons Glacier route) at around 6 p.m. When we arrived a lenticular cloud slowly dissipated. For the next two hours, we set up camp, making walls to protect us from the wind and setting up our bivy gear. Soon it was time to head to sleep in preparation to ride the Emmons Glacier in August.

Day 2 Heading to the Summit

The morning light broke into our shelter, as we were the last group at camp with the intention of climbing. Many groups had left at about midnight, but with a purpose of skiing/riding, we left at the early alpine hour of 8:00 a.m., knowing the perfect time to ski the route would be 1 p.m. for a to ride the Emmons Glacier in August.

The climb went fast as we went up a well-established boot pack, crossing and navigating through crevasses and seracs up the seemingly endless route. The day was warm, but a brisk wind kept my temperature down as I hiked gloveless and in a cotton T-shirt before switching over to a coat at the summit ridge.

When we reached the Rainier summit proper, we took in views of the North Cascades, Olympics, Puget Sound and the surrounding cities before starting our descent.

Snowboarding Down the Emmons Glacier

The first few low-angled turns in the crater were windblown powder before starting down the massive Emmons Glacier. Conditions ranged from icy bulletproof to perfect corn and all in between as we carefully rode down the slopes.

Each crevasse took some delicate work, with some forcing me to take off the board and others having me jump over the cracks. With the passing of each crevasse we were that much closer to base camp and out of harm’s way.

The final 2,000 feet, otherwise known as the corridor, was a dream of wide-open slopes. There was minimal concern for crevasses as we finally let loose. Finally we could enjoy the last turns on the Emmons Glacier in August.

Back at Camp Sherman

Back at camp around 2:00, I was excited I had finally completed my goal/project. I had spent the season riding lines on the 10 highest peaks. It had stressed me out for months, and it felt great to complete such a huge personal adventure. I had ridden everything from isolated peaks to volcanoes, ranging from 50-mile trips to six-mile trips. I reflected on the journeys as we left base camp. Soon we were riding an additional 2,500 feet down to Glacier Basin and the final hike out to the trailhead. This challenge had taken me from April to August with a two-month intermission in South America, but now it was over. We had just done a Mount Rainier summit ski tour of the Emmons Glacier

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