Despite doing 11 training hikes in the last two months, this hike felt tougher than expected. But, at least the road into the Bivouac seemed to have been graded since I scouted the first couple trail miles on August 18th. Still took it slow in spots in the Subaru, but didn't feel anything a conventional sedan couldn't handle.
Signed in and started off through the forest about 6:35 am. Enjoyed the noble firs, and appreciated the recent WTA trail work. Liked the new check steps, noted tread above the gully before the switchbacks had been widened, and saw more blue diamond trail markers on trees. I carried more water and gear than usual, since the weather forecast included clouds, cool temps, and winds above. This meant I set a slow but steady pace. Enjoyed seeing Mt Hood and Mt Adams from the switchbacks, since some fog limited views driving up.
Made it to the Permit Required sign by 7:55 am. Looked at the wooden posts for the best route up. Packed my poles away, but left gloves on so I'd have hands free and prepared to grab boulders.
Followed the most noticeable boot path between poles, switchbacking west up the side of the 150'+ ridge. Set a waypoint on my GPS at the small sign marking Monitor Ridge, since I saw a network of boot paths in the area. Could see Hood, Adams, and Monitor Peak from the top of the ridge, but lost sight of them as I descended into the big gully. Slogged up along a boot path at the bottom of the east side of the gully, with many younger folks passing me as I kept the wooden poles in sight. Kept up the slow but steady rhythm, pausing only to take pictures or change hats.
By 9:38 am, I'd climbed up onto the ridge and could see the other volcanoes on the horizons, and Monitor Peak below me. When the first really large boulder field plugged the gully, I found a boot path to the east side which involved just a little scrambling, but a good bit of holding onto boulders as I stepped carefully in loose sand or on boulders above the dropoff to the east. Was relieved when I got to the top at 10:05 am., and could admire Red Rock Pass, Goat Marsh, and Goat Mountain. Hiking to Butte Camp, or on the Cinnamon Trail doesn't give you a feel for how many lava flows you can see on the mountain's south slopes from the Ridge.
Kept working my way up through the various boulder fields, wooden pole by pole, making sure each step was sound, that I wasn't about to pull on a loose rock, and that my route was ok. Watched a young man leap up past me, springing from boulder top to top rapidly. Took his image at the Observation Station at 10:40 am. That more open, low grade, firmly sandy area above the Station was a treat. Stayed east again on the next boulder field, until I reached the last pole before the scree field. Broke out my poles. Took an ibuprofen to help my sore left knee. Dug out my raincoat since the clouds were leaving fine drops on my face.
Some of the boulder scrambles involved grades of 44-51, so the first part of the sandy stretch felt easier. But, the deepening sand, the increasing grade, the heavier wind, the misty clouds, and my fatigue made this part a challenge. Started counting steps. Let myself stand still every so often. Pretty soon, I was standing every 10 steps, or finding a rock to sit on every 50 steps. The GPS showed 600' feet altitude to go, then 300' as the grade steepened to over 40. Didn't matter whether you stepped in others' footsteps or not, since the very dry pumice bits slid down under your feet either way. Poles helped.
But, I could see several people sitting down above me, and guessed they were at the rim. Determined to join them, I kept slogging.
Made it to the rim about 12:15 pm, 5:41 hrs from car. A grinning fellow hiker took my picture. Could barely see the rim and crater in the thick clouds. But, I felt so happy to have made it up that I didn't care. I'd heard via a friend who roves for MSHI that the rim had seen some recent collapses, so I stayed a ways back, on the south edge of the boot path.
To our collective joy, the clouds began to break up. Slowly, Rainier's top, the crater walls, and finally, the dome emerged into view. Glorious! Worth the suffering. Admired how the dome steam writhed up into the low clouds. The mountain feels alive. I understood why I'd seen little piles of sand on boulders suddenly start sliding. When I checked the USGS site days later, I saw they'd logged five events, each less than .71 magnitude, during my hike.
But, since I'd taken way longer than I hoped to get to the rim, and could see rain clouds off over the Coastal Range, starting to move towards Mt Hood and Mt Adams, I decided to head back down instead of going over to the summit.
What fun to land heel first in the deep sand, and slide a bit down. Paused to photograph the meager remnants of the Swift Glacier to the east. Returned to the Observation Station at 1:56 pm, only 17 minutes less than it took me to slog up.
Soon learned that getting down the boulder fields was harder than climbing up. Unable to see the boot trails from each field top very well, I did a lot of crouching, balancing on my hands and lowering myself on a bent leg until I could get a toe onto a boulder below, or, sitting and lowering myself down. Tried the west side instead of the east on a couple fields, and went right down the middle on others. Scary at times. Clouds kept thickening to the west.
Was very happy to get back to the widest part of the big gully below the largest boulder field by 3:14 pm. Tried to stay high, near the poles, to avoid missing the last wooden pole before cutting east. But, that route near the ridge top was slower, narrower, and involved more scrambling. Cut down to the east side gully floor and trucked as fast as footing permitted, watching for poles.
As the gully bent eastward, I could not see a pole ahead. Fearing I'd missed the last pole, and forgetting I had a GPS waypoint to check, I tried to climb back up to the last pole I'd passed. This was tough, as the gully wall was critical angle for the sand, and lacked many helpful boulders, with the rocks exposed slanting steeply.
A hiker taking the boot path on the west side of the gully bottom (recommended route!), kindly shouted across that he could see several poles below, around the bend. I slid back down to the boot path and kept going south. His route and mine converged as he sped past. First he shifted, then I shifted to a smaller gully to the east, still heading south. I began to see bright red leaves on small shrubs, and a few trees below.
Felt very glad to spot a blue triangle on a pole with an arrow pointing east, about 4:15 pm. However, getting down that first ridge was also harder than climbing up. The poles weren't clear from that starting point. I headed down, but angled farther north towards Monitor Peak, switchbacking down to a wide sandy area where I could see a firepit, and paths which connected to the Permit Required sign area. Found several guys stretched out on the ground near the sign. When the helpful hiker arrived, I thanked him for his perspective and timely advice.
Though my legs felt shaky on the relatively level ground, after drinking water and gulping some trail mix, at 4:42 pm I set off into the forest. Used my poles to push myself along. Sat down for ten seconds, twice, but otherwise just kept going. Beyond tired. When I went to sign out at 5:52 pm, someone had removed the day's register entries.
Time down from the crater, 5:17 hrs. Total transit time: 10:58, plus 15 min. at the rim. GPS trip profile showed 10.2 miles, climbing up and down along the way for 5863'.
At 71, I had no idea how long the hike would take me. I feel happy to have seen the steaming dome of the volcano from the rim. A lifetime experience.
Drove home in intermittent rain showers, cleaned up, took an ibuprofen, and crashed out. Groaned every time I got up for the next day. It was worth it, but my poor quads really got sore. Bushwhacking up the west side of Starway ridge didn't leave them like this.
Things I'd do differently:
do my training hikes with the full water load I carried on the mountain, 3.5 liters instead of my typical 1.5, plus the extra food, fleece vest, hat with lights, and raincoat I carried on the Ridge.
practice boulder scrambling off trail on the lava field at Red Rock Pass, so I'd feel more confident with those whole body moves and boulder navigation
descend that biggest boulder field on its west side, and take the deeper, sandier boot track on the west bottom of the gully down instead of sticking as close to the poles on the eastern ridge
refer to that waypoint I set at the top of the first ridge instead of worrying about where to cut over east for the last descent.
Thanks to my hiking buddies, other trip reports, and MSHI lists for good advice about poles, gloves, routes etc; to encouraging fellow hikers, and to the trailworkers who make this tough experience easier.
