Our second day was where the fun really began. We gathered together bright and early, introduced ourselves, and took a group photo. \u00c2\u00a0After our photo, we drove off to Paradise, where we unloaded our van, laced up our boots, and made one final stop to a flush toilet. Then we headed uphill! Because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s relatively early in the season, very little of the trail is melted out, so we walked on snow the entire first day. But just because it was snowy, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean it was cold. In fact, our trip up the Muir snowfield was hot and sweaty, even with thin clothing and sun protection. Luckily, we moved fairly quickly into camp and we got to spend a couple hours relaxing before dinner. Our dinner was excellently prepared (credit to guides Betsy Dain-Owens and Dan Zokaites), and we all agreed that all burritos should have snap peas in them to provide additional texture.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/image-150x150.jpeg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tThe crew before leaving HQ\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rob_after_climb-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tGuide Rob Jantzen packing up before leaving Paradise\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/walking_to_muir-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tAnd we’re off! \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/tim_and_jamie-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tTim and Jamie smiling on the snowfield\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/crowded_snowfield-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tSaturday was a crowded day on the snowfield! \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/practicing_rest_step-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tThe team practicing rest stepping\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/snowfield_12-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tOn the last stretch up to camp\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/dinner_at_muir-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tDinner at Muir\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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The next morning, after another lovely meal of pancakes and bacon, we had a mellow few hours of training at Muir. The group learned cramponing techniques, self-arresting, and how to travel together on a rope, all invaluable skills for the upper mountain. I have to say, it looked pretty nice to slide around in the slushy snow on such a hot day. Once everyone had honed their skills, we roped up and headed through Cathedral gap and onto Ingraham flats, a short journey. At camp, we moved into our tents and discussed our upcoming summit day. We ate an early dinner, which was again excellent (Betsy is just really good at cooking!) and went to sleep. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sleep\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is used loosely here, as it was broad daylight for about four of the seven hours before we had to wake up again at midnight.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/self_arrest_practice_2-1-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tThe team practicing self-arresting at Muir\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/little_tahoma-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tNot a bad view from the tents at the flats! The peak in the foreground is Little Tahoma, which used to be a part of the crater rim of Rainier before its last eruption.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ingraham_flats-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tLooking up at Disappointment Cleaver from the flats\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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Summit morning is my personal favorite part of every climb. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certainly not fun to wake up in the middle of the night, crawl out of your warm sleeping bag and walk for several hours in the cold and dark, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what carries you to your ultimate goal. Beyond that, a group that suffers together stays together! Summit day is where you really get to bond with your fellow climbers, even if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s through commiseration.<\/p>\n
On our summit morning, we woke up at midnight, ate a little breakfast, drank some coffee (mercifully), packed up and headed uphill. It happened to be about as warm as it gets on a Rainier summit day, although that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not saying much. After about an hour and a half of walking, we made it to the top of the Disappointment Cleaver, which was only about a third rock (because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s early in the season and it hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite melted out). A few turned back but the rest of us continued on towards the summit. Because two of our guides, Dan Zokaites and Eric Schafer, had done some route work the day before, our path was nicely shoveled out and smooth. At around seven in the morning, we arrived on the crater rim, tired but thrilled to be there!<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/summit_morning-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tIt’s hard to see, but here we are roping up at the flats before leaving for the climb\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/scenery_summit_morning-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tSunrise on the upper mountain\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/eric_selfie-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tGuide Eric Schafer couldn’t resist taking a selfie with the beautiful view!\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Todd_2-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tAvoiding crevasses on the upper mountain (photo: Todd Parkey)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/crater_rim-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tRob, Jamie, and Tim on the crater rim\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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Three of us walked across the crater to the summit register, where we signed for our group, and then walked up to Columbia Crest, which is technically the highest point on the mountain (although anywhere on the crater rim is officially the summit). Once we had taken a few pictures, we started walking back down. Descending, in my mind, can be the worst part of climbing, particularly if you have my knees. It does, however, go pretty quick, so we made it to the top of the cleaver and down to Ingraham flats in a relatively short stretch of time.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/summit_register-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tThe summit register\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mountainguides.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/columbia_crest-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\tGuides Max Bunce, Eric Schafer, and myself at Columbia Crest\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tThe summit register\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tRob, Jamie, and Tim on the crater rim\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tAvoiding crevasses on the upper mountain (photo: Todd Parkey)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tGuide Eric Schafer couldn’t resist taking a selfie with the beautiful view!\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tSunrise on the upper mountain\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tIt’s hard to see, but here we are roping up at the flats before leaving for the climb\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tLooking up at Disappointment Cleaver from the flats\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tNot a bad view from the tents at the flats! The peak in the foreground is Little Tahoma, which used to be a part of the crater rim of Rainier before its last eruption.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tThe team practicing self-arresting at Muir\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tDinner at Muir\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tOn the last stretch up to camp\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tThe team practicing rest stepping\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tSaturday was a crowded day on the snowfield! \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tTim and Jamie smiling on the snowfield\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tAnd we’re off! \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tGuide Rob Jantzen packing up before leaving Paradise\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
- \n\t\t\t\tThe crew before leaving HQ\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>
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