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Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Mazama Ridge (Mount Rainier)

Fun spring ski tour on the Muir Snowfield.

Michael Nanney Michael Nanney
March 19, 2023
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The only notable thing about the route to mention is that the Park Service is not opening the Longmire Gate a minute before 9:00 and are directing vehicle traffic to queue up in the parking lot for the Longmire Lodge which was a total mess.  Avoid by turning into Longmire in the first entrance to the parking lot as opposed to driving around it from the gate and backing into your parking space for easy escape!

Fun day skiing on the Muir Snowfield with a great group of folks!IMG_5827.jpeg

Even with Friday's sun, the midweek snow was approx 10" deep with minimal sun crust (which soon melted with the warming) which made skiing up Panorama Face very easy and ski crampons weren't needed as they usually are.  That same snow meant there were a couple of well put in skin tracks up to Muir, which was a little unusual but very civilized.

IMG_5832.jpeg

Everyone in our group made it to 9500' with two folks tagging Muir before cruising down the uptrack to reassemble the team.  Radios came in handy for communication when the team split up.  Three folks descended down Pan Face and the Alta Vista trail due to one of us getting a little altitude sick.  Good reminder than as accessible as the Muir Snowfield is, Camp Muir is roughly the same elevation as Glacier Peak.  The other half skied a line off of Mazama Ridge, rendezvousing back at the cars around 3:00.IMG_5836.jpeg

No corn snow yet since this was the first significant warming for the season but as we get more and more cycles, it will get more and more fun!