With a early season snow storm hitting the Cascades Scott and decided to get some Muir Snowfield powder turns in mid November. With the first storms of the season there is only a hand full of places to go to get early season turns. You could head up North to Heliotrope Ridge on Mount Baker or both the Flett Glacier and the Muir Snowfield on Mount Rainier. Knowing that there was a permanent snowfield in the area we wouldn’t have to worry about hitting rocks and not wanting to hike the 7 miles of trail from Mowich Lake we made our way towards the Paradise Visitor Center.
A Little Bit of Info About the Muir Snowfield
The Muir Snowfield is a stagnant glacier located on the South Side of Mount Rainier National Park. Located via Paradise Visitor Center and starting at 10,000 ft and running down to 8,400 ft it is a popular route for climbers attempting to summit. With the Muir Shelter up top it is the highest hike within the park and the only public shelter available for overnight sleeping. Late in the season it is not unheard of to have Crevasses but for the most part is a nontechnical route. For skiing turns can be had throughout the year and it is popular for late season turns within the TAY crowd.
Heading up to Paradise Visitor Center for the First Turns of the Season
Driving up the Paradise Road we were happy to see new snow as we wrapped around the Nisqually Bridge. The snow level was exceptionally low for November with a fresh dusting down to 3,000 feet. We were excited as we looked up the Nisqually Chute and terminus of the Glacier. It was a sure sign that we would find good snow above and hopefully get some powder turns on the Muir Snowfield in November
Making our way to Paradise we were blown away to see that it already had a snowpack. It looked like mid winter with the Fuhrer Finger, Fuhrer Thumb and Kautz Glacier were already filled in. In the distance I could barely see the Gib Chute sticking out above the trees. If the season managed to keep up we knew it would we were in for a real treat in the upcoming months.
Ski Touring up the Muir Snowfield
After a while we had made it up to the Muir Snowfield and the terrain was coated in powder. It was a clear day with views all the way to Mount Adams. If front of us stood the Tatoosh Range which looked to already be in amazing conditions.
Heading up the Muir Snowfield the view of Mount Rainier overwhelmed us. We felt so small looking at the Nisqually Icefall knowing that some of the blocks of glacial Ice were over 30 feet tall.
Before long we were making our final climb up to the Muir Snowfield. There were already a few like minded skiers who had come to take advantage of the snowpack. We took in the view for two hours as it was a perfect day before the sun started making its way down the horizon. It was time to do what we were there for and ride some powder on the Muir Snowfield.
Getting Our First Turns of the Season on the Muir Snowfield
We started riding the moment the light stated getting dramatic. As we rode down the snow was improving with every turn as up high the snow was wind affected. But lower on the terrain was a bit more sheltered and easy to find deep turns.
Soon we had made it to the bottom of the Muir Snowfield after 3,000 feet of turns. The storm had delivered great turns to start the season. Off in the distance Mount Adams and Mount Hood were starting to glow as they basked in the late day sun.
Riding through the base of Pebble Creek it was a mine field of rocks as it was still quite early in the season. This was the final crux before heading to the lower slopes as we rode towards Mount Saint Helens.
With a few new core shots in our boards it was time for the final turns back to Paradise Visitor Center near the summer hiking trail. We were fortunate that the first real storm of the season had coated the area. It was still November and a great start to the season.
Thank you for reading this trip on the Muir Snowfield. If you want to see more ski tours within Mount Rainier Backcountry check out this link