ExcitableBoy wrote:That makes sense. August is usually very good too and some years we enjoy a Native American summer into late September...

All the July & August dates are solid booked at IMG and AA... would you recommend climbing in June rather than Memorial Day weekend? I'll just take one more day off.

On another note - I plan on arriving in Portland, OR to climb Mt. Hood first and drive to Mt. Rainier... from my research it seems you don't absolutely need ropes for the easiest route, what do you think?

sm0421 wrote:

ExcitableBoy wrote:That makes sense. August is usually very good too and some years we enjoy a Native American summer into late September...

All the July & August dates are solid booked at IMG and AA... would you recommend climbing in June rather than Memorial Day weekend?

If you can plan your trip for late June it would be worth it to change. Also, it seems at least half of Memorial Day weekends suck, weather wise.

I remember this one time, at band camp, my freind Alex and I were climbing the Kautz Galcier route on Memorial Day, 1999. The weather was fine on Saturday and the ascent went easily to Point Success on Sunday morning. When I pulled on top of the sub summit, pre-frontal storm winds lifted me off my feet and spun me in a somersault and dropped me onto my stomach. I don't know hard it was blowing, but when I opened my mouth to shout at Alex, the wind seemed to pull the air right out of my lungs. We scooted back down the route and beelned it to the car. We passed a couple of friends on the Nisqually Glaicer. They never made it to camp as the winds has started spilling down the south side, making even hiking an effort in futility.

ExcitableBoy wrote: We passed a couple of friends on the Nisqually Glaicer. They never made it to camp as the winds has started spilling down the south side, making even hiking an effort in futility.

Same thing happened to my brother and I on our Mount Adams climb of 1983.

When you have a single volcano rising more than 10,000 + ft, it's gonna MAKE its own weather.

Would Labor Day weekend be a decent time to climb Rainier? How's the weather then (typically)?

mattdeen wrote:Would Labor Day weekend be a decent time to climb Rainier? How's the weather then (typically)?

Aside from the fact that all three day weekends in Seattle suck weather wise, Labor Day weekend usually has good weather. The route is usually in ok shape and if you climb via the DC the guides maintain the route with fixed ladders, ropes, and pickets.