Not to sound like a total free-loader or anything, but I was wondering if someone might be able to go along on Mt. Rainier with my freind and I. I'm planing on going sometime between June and mid July in 2007, and will also be climbing Mt. Hood for sure (providing good weather), and hopefuly Mt. Adams as well during the same trip. I just feel a little uncomfortable climbing Rainier on my own experiance level, though I'm fairly confindent I could do it with enough information.
Let me know how I might be able to get something set up.
Also let me know if this is completely uncalled for and unethical in the climbing comunity. This partner finding thing is new territory for me.
Thanks
P.S. This trip is pending my freind's schedual, but the final dates should be set sometime around Feb-March.

Hi,

Saw your post from October. Not sure if you are still planning to go to Mt. Rainier. Here's a suggestion. Climb Hood, then Adams and finallay Rainier. If you do that then you should be ok by the time you get to Rainier, but don't let your guard down on the other two. Mt Hood can be a bear though July would be very late in the season for Hood. Mt Hood melts almost completely in the summer. Admas melt out quite a bit too. Mt Rainier stays pretty well covered although it gets icier in the late season and some routes are usually a no go earlier than others. July is a great time to climb Rainier in good weather on the DC route though the Ingraham Glacier has broken up badly in the last couple years and last year was an end-run around the cleaver onto the Emmons... so it wasn't actually the DC route as it has been in the past. Not real sure on what it's shaping up to be this year but there was a lot of snow... I've been Holed up here in Jackson Wyoming (Jackson Hole... damn, a pun) this whole winter. I am trying out for a guide position at Mt. Rainier a week from saturday, and if everything goes well, I should be working at RMI this summer. Good luck, be in shape, and make sure you are up on Glacier Travel, Crevasse Rescue, Self Arrest etc. etc. before you go. RMI offers a very good 1 day climbing class that is very affordable and recommended if you are short on experience. Be careful and have fun!

John Sherwood

Not really looking anymore for now. I've climbed Rainier before with RMI, but never summited (got sick, not AMS either but something else). My freind and I successfuly summited Hood, but scraped Mt. Adams due to a weather front that was forcasted to move in the day we would be summiting and poor timing on getting to the trailhead. So, we headed up to Mt. Rainier because my freind wanted to get to see that mountain before we headed back to WI. Ran into some road trouble (the back side was all washed out I'm sure you know) but made it there ok. We hiked up to Camp Muir and spend the night. The weather front that would have hit us on Adams was also affecting Rainier. 30+ MPH winds at Camp Muir, and reports of 60+ winds above the Ingraham Flats. I was lucky enough to set up the tent in that. :)

I'm strongly thinking about taking a mountaineering seminar within a couple years. This summer I'm not doing anything huge. Mt. Whitney and Half Dome. In the winter, I'm planing on a winter ascent of Longs Peak, and that will be guided.

Thank you for your input though. It's appreciated.