Pants for Rainier in June

Hey all, doing a final gear check for an early June Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier trip and realized I am not confident in my pants for the trip. Trying to decide between a couple of different models
1) First Ascent Guide pant with extra merino insulation for summit day
2) First Ascent Mountain Guide Lite - wear shorts to Muir and then pants the rest of the way
3) Outdoor Research Cirque pants - same as above
4) Arc'terxy Gamma LT
5) ??????

Really if anyone has suggestions one way or another it would be very helpful, thanks

14ers in the summer?

Shorts

Here's the experience I had. I was on Rainier 2 years ago in the summer. I think it was July, and the snowline was still basically down to Paradise. It was unusually cold. Wore softshells from the start at Paradise. The temps at Muir and above to the summit were damn cold. I think we had an unusually cold window, cold enough to freeze up the water in my nalgene bottles in my pack-not solid though. My photo is the summit day. People were doing their best to stay warm. Who knows, it could be t-shirt and shorts for your climb, but I think June is still pretty early on Rainier.
So, after all that info you probably didn't need, I believe the cirques are pretty light and wind resistant, I'd take those with a base layer. That should cover it.
I'd also recommend checking with a guide site like IMG to see what they have on their gear lists.
Hope that helps. Have fun!

Mike Belu wrote:Here's the experience I had. I was on Rainier 2 years ago in the summer. I think it was July, and the snowline was still basically down to Paradise. It was unusually cold. Wore softshells from the start at Paradise. The temps at Muir and above to the summit were damn cold. I think we had an unusually cold window, cold enough to freeze up the water in my nalgene bottles in my pack-not solid though. My photo is the summit day. People were doing their best to stay warm. Who knows, it could be t-shirt and shorts for your climb, but I think June is still pretty early on Rainier. So, after all that info you probably didn't need, I believe the cirques are pretty light and wind resistant, I'd take those with a base layer. That should cover it. I'd also recommend checking with a guide site like IMG to see what they have on their gear lists. Hope that helps. Have fun!

My experiences on Rainier, 2 trips, were similar with the exception that we had a mixture of rain and mist from Paradise up to the Turtle and freezing temps that night so something water proof would have been nice as my soft shell pants got pretty wet.

Good soft shells with an under-layer will likely be good enough but I would bring a light weight wind/rain outer as well. I have been on the summit of Adams (early June) and had temps cold enough where the tea in my cup started turning slushy while waiting for people on the summit. Both of those mountains can be VERY different than a "14-er" in summer.

K Weber wrote:14ers in the summer? Shorts

No way. I did the Kautz Glacier route in June and Emmons-Winthrop in August and both times I wore down on the last stretch to the summit. On the Kautz trip, our water froze solid in our pack. Of course, you could get lucky with warmer weather, but you definitely want to be prepared with warm layers.

To the OP, you can see from the posts that you should be prepared for very cold weather. I know u only asked about the pants, but you will definately want some very warm gloves or mittens and throw that extra puffy jacket in your pack, it won't add that much weight. Just trying to help, it will suck if you get weather like we did and don't have warm layers.

I was on the kautz last june... it was 70+ all 3 days. funn

That beign said I still had cold weather gear. just didnt need it.

softshell pants and a midweight baselayer will keep you warm if it gets cold. If its hot dont wear a baselayer.

I wore patagonia alpine guide (which i wear fro most everything.

personally id bring hardhsell pants too. It poured on the descent from the crevasse field back to paradise. Soaked to the bone.

OR coulior is awesome for Rainier. Also REI Endeavor convertible pants are pretty awesome... especially on the descent when you tear the legs off and shorts up!

A little pricey, but the Patagonia Alpine Guide Softshell Pants are by a mile the best possible thing to put on your legs when snow, ice and sharp pointy things are involved in your agenda.

The pants are BURLY, the only pair I have without any crampon holes and they're really warm. Paired with a pair of R1 pants, they've served me well ice climbing in sub-zero temps, and they're not too stuffy in the 20-30 degree range if paired with a light capeline layer.

Thank you for all the advice. I decided to go with the OR Cirque pants and some merino base layers. Personally I am preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. The other gear has been accounted for so I should be good to go.

I have two pairs of the Patagonia guide pants (one older and heavier than the other). I've used them climbing Rainier in July last year, Baker in July, and many other Cascades peaks in winter and summer.

They are perfect. But they very light but indestructible... nary a tear on any of them yet, and the butt is not even worn despite thousands of feet of glissading.

I also used a very lightweight REI pants shell over them on summit day, for wet weather, snow and glissading. Keeps the guide pants dry.

Just came back from climbing rainier. Wore the OR cirque pants - worked out perfectly.

cbr

Jake, Which pants did you decide on, and how did the trip go?

I wore running tights and nothing else pretty much the entire time I was on rainier this year (few weeks ago in july). then again its was balls to the wall hot.

Only the summit was chilly due to the wind, but not overlly bad. I saw people in full down gear. I felt fine in a midweight capilene top and atom lt.