I saw some great campsites in Summerland, but none on Meany Crest. I think the Little Tahoma campsites must be higher up on the ridge closer to Mt. Rainier. We saw a large group of climbers heading up over Meany Crest, but they were headed for an unusual route on Mt. Rainier, not Little Tahoma. Thanks for visiting the site.
Interesting - you actually saw a large climbing group heading
to a route going up to Rainier from Meany Crest???
So, I'm assuming there's a way to access the Cowlitz and Ingraham glaciers from the Fryingpan and Whitman glaciers?
(Perhaps they were involved in a high altitude traverse???)
I realize that glacier conditions are always changing, but could
you please tell me what month of the year that was, when you saw
the large group of climbers?
This was July 21st last summer (2008). This was a LARGE group. I mean, there had to be at least 15 of them. It was not a Mountaineers party, but a private party. They were carrying lawn chairs, grills, and steel pots and pans to a high camp to do an unorthodox route on Rainier, but if they told me what the route was, I certainly can't remember it now. They were a mixed bag of climbers...From girls and boys around 18-20, to older guys around 55-60. An interesting group.
Ain't no telling who you might find on Rainier these days!
One final question, hope you don't mind. I was wondering what
time of the year the White River/Sunrise Road opens.
Seems like September would be the best time to visit Summerland,
being that most folks go in summer. I've always been fascinated
by that side of Mount Rainier. Thanks for the information!!!
No problem. Thanks for all of the votes! The White River Road usually opens late June to early July. This can vary depending on the snow year. The last couple of years saw a lot of snow, and opened around mid-June. For the best info. on climbing Rainier, visit this website: http://www.mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/
I think September would be a fine time to visit.
"I saw some great campsites in Summerland, but none on Meany Crest." ???
I hate to rain on your parade, but you do not describe Meany Crest. Maps are obviously mis-labeled, as the lower spot sits below a more dominant part of the same feature. Altitude at Meany Crest is 7,553ft. It is the crest just above where you went. I counted at least a dozen improved bivy sites. Meany Crest is a flat area almost as big as a football field. The ground is primarily fine sandy gravel perfect for easy tenting, which is why it is considered a nameable feature. Abundant water runoff from glacier (mid-July).
I think you're mistaken. It's not just the USGS which considers point 7,211 as Meany Crest, but also Mountain Zone, The Mountaineers official scrambling guide, and USPlaces.com. Fred Beckey states in Volume I of the Cascade Alpine Guide on page 130, "From Summerland (See Wonderland Trail) at 5400 feet skirt rocky cliffs to right and ascend S up a rounded slope to Meany Crest (7000 feet) and then SW at 235 degrees onto the Fryingpan Glacier, 7500 feet". In Selected Climbs in the Cascades, Volume I, Nelson and Potterfield say "Skirt rocky cliffs on the right (NW) while climbing to Meany Crest (7,000 feet), and then ascend southwesterly onto the eastern edge of the Fryingpan Glacier near point 7,573." Mike Gauthier's book does list Meany Crest as 7,573 so I suppose there may be some legitimate debate or confusion, but the weight of evidence and the fact that the USGS calls it the lower point is the official factor. The higher summit is undoubtedly a better staging area for Little Tahoma, but the lower summit by nearly all accounts is "The" Meany Crest. I have found that sometimes the maps can be wrong (Chikamin Peak and Mt. Daniel are notorious examples), but in this case it is correct. It is true that more prominent features are the ones that get named, but this was named because it was more prominent to the thousands who go to Summerland, not for the small handful who go to Little Tahoma.
I have read online that people will refer to the camping area as point 7573 just above Meany Crest. I‘ve gone to Summerland and panhandle gap several times in late July though October but this year our dates are for early July. With this year’s snow pack do you think I will need crampons and an Ice axe to make it up to point 7573?
Ice ax for sure. Conditions this year (so far) are a month behind schedule, so think of late July as late June. You may not need crampons, but you'll have them anyway if you're doing Little Tahoma.
lcarreau - Feb 22, 2009 9:45 pm - Voted 10/10
This is the standardapproach for climber's going on to the summit of Little Tahoma.
Did you see a lot of camps atop Meany Crest when you were there???
Snidely Whiplash - Feb 27, 2009 10:47 am - Hasn't voted
Re: This is the standardI saw some great campsites in Summerland, but none on Meany Crest. I think the Little Tahoma campsites must be higher up on the ridge closer to Mt. Rainier. We saw a large group of climbers heading up over Meany Crest, but they were headed for an unusual route on Mt. Rainier, not Little Tahoma. Thanks for visiting the site.
lcarreau - Feb 27, 2009 10:56 am - Voted 10/10
Re: This is the standardInteresting - you actually saw a large climbing group heading
to a route going up to Rainier from Meany Crest???
So, I'm assuming there's a way to access the Cowlitz and Ingraham glaciers from the Fryingpan and Whitman glaciers?
(Perhaps they were involved in a high altitude traverse???)
I realize that glacier conditions are always changing, but could
you please tell me what month of the year that was, when you saw
the large group of climbers?
Snidely Whiplash - Mar 1, 2009 10:06 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: This is the standardThis was July 21st last summer (2008). This was a LARGE group. I mean, there had to be at least 15 of them. It was not a Mountaineers party, but a private party. They were carrying lawn chairs, grills, and steel pots and pans to a high camp to do an unorthodox route on Rainier, but if they told me what the route was, I certainly can't remember it now. They were a mixed bag of climbers...From girls and boys around 18-20, to older guys around 55-60. An interesting group.
lcarreau - Mar 1, 2009 10:24 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: This is the standardAin't no telling who you might find on Rainier these days!
One final question, hope you don't mind. I was wondering what
time of the year the White River/Sunrise Road opens.
Seems like September would be the best time to visit Summerland,
being that most folks go in summer. I've always been fascinated
by that side of Mount Rainier. Thanks for the information!!!
Snidely Whiplash - Mar 1, 2009 10:52 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: This is the standardNo problem. Thanks for all of the votes! The White River Road usually opens late June to early July. This can vary depending on the snow year. The last couple of years saw a lot of snow, and opened around mid-June. For the best info. on climbing Rainier, visit this website: http://www.mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/
I think September would be a fine time to visit.
robertjoy - Jul 21, 2009 12:42 am - Hasn't voted
Good Grief !!"I saw some great campsites in Summerland, but none on Meany Crest." ???
I hate to rain on your parade, but you do not describe Meany Crest. Maps are obviously mis-labeled, as the lower spot sits below a more dominant part of the same feature. Altitude at Meany Crest is 7,553ft. It is the crest just above where you went. I counted at least a dozen improved bivy sites. Meany Crest is a flat area almost as big as a football field. The ground is primarily fine sandy gravel perfect for easy tenting, which is why it is considered a nameable feature. Abundant water runoff from glacier (mid-July).
Snidely Whiplash - Jul 22, 2009 11:21 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Good Grief !!I think you're mistaken. It's not just the USGS which considers point 7,211 as Meany Crest, but also Mountain Zone, The Mountaineers official scrambling guide, and USPlaces.com. Fred Beckey states in Volume I of the Cascade Alpine Guide on page 130, "From Summerland (See Wonderland Trail) at 5400 feet skirt rocky cliffs to right and ascend S up a rounded slope to Meany Crest (7000 feet) and then SW at 235 degrees onto the Fryingpan Glacier, 7500 feet". In Selected Climbs in the Cascades, Volume I, Nelson and Potterfield say "Skirt rocky cliffs on the right (NW) while climbing to Meany Crest (7,000 feet), and then ascend southwesterly onto the eastern edge of the Fryingpan Glacier near point 7,573." Mike Gauthier's book does list Meany Crest as 7,573 so I suppose there may be some legitimate debate or confusion, but the weight of evidence and the fact that the USGS calls it the lower point is the official factor. The higher summit is undoubtedly a better staging area for Little Tahoma, but the lower summit by nearly all accounts is "The" Meany Crest. I have found that sometimes the maps can be wrong (Chikamin Peak and Mt. Daniel are notorious examples), but in this case it is correct. It is true that more prominent features are the ones that get named, but this was named because it was more prominent to the thousands who go to Summerland, not for the small handful who go to Little Tahoma.
sethfromnotneR - May 22, 2011 3:37 pm - Hasn't voted
Point 7573I have read online that people will refer to the camping area as point 7573 just above Meany Crest. I‘ve gone to Summerland and panhandle gap several times in late July though October but this year our dates are for early July. With this year’s snow pack do you think I will need crampons and an Ice axe to make it up to point 7573?
Snidely Whiplash - May 23, 2011 9:35 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Point 7573Ice ax for sure. Conditions this year (so far) are a month behind schedule, so think of late July as late June. You may not need crampons, but you'll have them anyway if you're doing Little Tahoma.