August 1, 2013
Eagles Nest (photo: Luke Reilly)
Fuhrer’s Finger never ceases to amaze me…
Sometimes everything just seems to line up; the weather, the route (which initially seemed positively impassable) and good company. Our ascent of Mt. Rainier via the Fuhrer’s Finger was a gem last week. The crew packed a lot in over four days including threading the needle through the Finger, bedding down for a night at the Eagle’s Nest (see photo), camping on the summit and exploring the steam caves in the crater. We couldn’t really ask for more.
Our team went into the climb knowing there was a possible dead end at the top of the Finger to access the upper mountain. After “poking around†at different options to gain the upper mountain, Mt. Rainier smiled on us again, showing passage up and around the glooming serac out onto the Wapowety cleaver. Once we gained the cleaver it was pretty much smooth sailing to the top. After a chilly night on top, we headed downhill for a well deserved beer and shower.  Thanks Josh, Mark and Jeff for the great climb.
Luke Reilly