June 23, 2025
Climbers on Rainier after a recent snow. Photo Max Bond
If you’re in Western Washington right now you’ll know that this last weekend saw some serious precipitation! What was pouring rain on the lowlands was heavy snows on the mountains, and it did make passage pretty challenging for our teams on Rainier climbs and our first Mt. Baker climb of the season.
However, the extra snow on the mountain is a wonderful thing! It helps keep the mountain cooler for longer in the season, not only by itself being cold, but by reflecting thermal energy from the sun back into the atmosphere. As the snow begins to melt, the snow surface darkens with rocks, dirt, or other detritus from the atmosphere. The darker the snow surface, the more thermal energy the landscape absorbs, thereby increasing the heat in the environment and the rate at which the remaining snow melts.
After weathering the storm this weekend, our most recent Disappointment Cleaver team has just returned to Ashford today, with a summit for the whole team!