Mount Rainier National Park

Paradise to Crystal Mountain Ski Resort

Snowboarding down the Whitman Glacier while doing a mid winter ski traverse from Paradise on Mount Rainier to Crystal Mountain

Paradise to Crystal Mountain ski resort was a trip I had dreamed of for years. After riding the slopes of the east side of Mount Rainier National Park for numerous seasons I thought it would be great to link them together. It was one of those trips that you put in the back of you mind. Waiting for the perfect weather window it finally came in early February with 3 days of clear weather. Finally it was time for Jason Hummel and I to do a trip of a life time.

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Emmons Glacier in August Rainier Ski Descent

Looking at the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier
Looking at the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier
Climbing the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier

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.

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Sarvant Glacier off White River Road

Looking up at the Sarvant Glacier
Looking up at the Sarvant Glacier
Looking at the Sarvant Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park

The Sarvant Glacier is one of those places that always holds good snow. It feeds into Fryingpan Creek which is a major drainage on Rainier’s northeastern side. The whole area is filled with open alpine, steep chutes and old growth tree skiing. The plan was for Boot and I to break trail up to the Sarvant Glacier and return the next day. This was going to be our first time heading up the creek to the area so we wanted to know how the route went.. Two years earlier did a circumnavigation tour in the area and had such a blast that I was excited to head back up..

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Interglacier in Early Spring Snowboard Descent

A lone skin track heading up Glacier Basin

If you have ever been to the summit of Crystal Mountain on a blue sky day the view of Mount Rainier is dominating. A world of wide open glaciers, tight couloirs and all in-between. The area has enough terrain to keep a mountaineer busy for decades. The northeast side is a popular summertime area but once winter comes they shut down the road. The only way to access it is via a snowmobile riding the 16 miles of road between Crystal Springs Snowpark and the White River campground. Our plan was to ride Interglacier in early spring conditions.

A partial view of the northeast side of Rainier from Crystal Mountain, the Interglacier is the prominent pyramid on the right
A partial view of the northeast side of Rainier from Crystal Mountain, the Interglacier is the prominent pyramid on the right

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Sarvant Glacier and Tamanos Mountain

Skinning up the Sarvant Glacier

Heading out to the Sarvant Glacier and Tamanos Mountain with Photos and writing by Amar Andalkar.

Boot and Kyle Miller kindly invited me to join them on a winter trip into the northeast side of Mount Rainier National Park. The roads on this side of the park are closed in winter, but “snowmobiles are permitted on the 12-mile section of unplowed road from the north park boundary on Highway 410 to the White River Campground.” However, it’s not easy travel and no effort is made to keep the road accessible to snowmobiles — in fact quite the opposite, as the roads are not groomed, and the 4.5 miles of SR 410 from the park entrance to the White River junction is currently plowed 1.5 lanes wide, leaving only a narrow path for snowmos along one side. The White River Road is difficult going too, with 2-3 ft deep powder filling and masking the old snowmobile rut, and nearly blocked by a 3 ft diameter fallen tree, which has an underpass dug through the snow beneath it.

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Mount Ruth Winter Ski Tour on Mount Rainier

Boot riding down the NE couloir of Mount Ruth
Boot riding down the NE couloir of Mount Ruth
Snowboarding Ruth Mountain in the winter

Mount Ruth is one of those mountains you pass by in pursuit of the bigger line right next to it. Situated in Glacier Basin next to the Interglacier kept saying I’d like to ski it one day. A few springs back I was able to ride it in good conditions but it definitely wasn’t winter conditions. While doing a ski tour out to the Interglacier in the beginning of January it had caught my attention once again. The Northeast couloir is a striking line and finally it was time to head out there with Jason Hummel and Boot.

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Interglacier in Winter Splitboard tour

Snowboarding down the Interglacier in Mount Rainier National Park
Snowboarding down the Interglacier in Mount Rainier National Park
Snowboarding down the Interglacier in Mount Rainier National Park

Snowboarding the Interglacier in winter had always been a goal of mine. My usual experience was heading up once the White River Road had opened. Though I had ridden the area in powder conditions there is something about cold smoke powder. With the White River Road closed it would be a 16 mile skin in but we had Snowmobiles. With the sleds we would be able to make our way up to the White River Campground. Since it was the darkest time of the season it would be a cold and short day. But the rewards were riding the 4,000 foot line off the Interglacier in winter conditions all the way to Glacier Basin.

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Flett Glacier Headwall Solo Midwinter Tour

Mowich Lake to Flett Glacier Headwall backcountry ski tour in Mount Rainier National Park
Mowich Lake to Flett Glacier Headwall backcountry ski tour in Mount Rainier National Park
Snowboarding the Flett Glacier Mid Winter in Mount Rainier National Park

The Flett Glacier Headwall is one of my favorite summer spot for me for ski touring. It’s a long distance to access the headwall from Mowich Lake in summer let alone in winter. With the weather looking so nice, however, I thought this would be the day to go for it. If the conditions lined up I would go for over Mount Pleasant and into Spray Park before riding the Flett Glacier Headwall.

A Little Bit of info About the Flett Glacier Headwall

The Flett Glacier headwall is located on the north side of Observation Rock in Mount Rainier National Park. The hike starts from Mowich Lake off the Carbon River Road and can be accessed via the Spray Park Trail or through Knapsack Pass. Starting at 8,300 feet it drops into Spray Park and turns can be had all year long.

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Nisqually Glacier from Paradise Visitor Center

Josh skiing down on the edge of a crevasse

The Nisqually Glacier is possibly the most viewed Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park. Being directly in front of Paradise Visitor Center it is straight in front of your face. From the summit it pours down to just over 3,000 feet. For us this was an alternative to the standard descent from Camp Muir. Instead of dropping straight Josh Jason and I made our way right to ride through the crevasses in spring corn.

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