Tying In

The weekend of July 8, I helped lead a Mountaineers climb of the Emmons Route on Mt. Rainier. Our team was fortunate to have excellent route conditions, helped by the cool, wet conditions in the Pacific Northwest this spring. Despite cold and windy weather on the upper mountain, everyone on our two rope teams made it safely to the summit and back to the White River Trailhead with no mishaps.

As is common in July, the mountain was busy, and it appeared that many parties also summited successfully; spirits were high along the climbing route and back at Camp Schurman.

Coming down the Corridor – a relatively low-angle stretch of the Emmons Glacier that extends about 1,500 vertical feet above Camp Schurman – I noticed something strange: a glissade track running several hundred feet down the Emmons Glacier. The Corridor looks fairly innocuous when covered by a blanket of snow, but large crevasses lurk below the surface in the underbelly of the Emmons Glacier. It is definitely not a good place to be unroped and glissading, which is why I took note of the glissade track.

I would come to learn that our pleasant summit weekend was not without incident. On Saturday afternoon, as we were unwinding back at Camp Schurman, we witnessed a park ranger perform a high wire rescue of a skier who we heard took a crevasse fall high on the upper mountain. Seeing this harrowing helicopter rescue, right on the heels of observing the ill-advised glissade track, was a good reminder that being complacent on big mountains often leads to dangerous outcomes.

We subsequently learned from park ranger staff that they’ve seen an uptick in the number of climbers traveling unroped on the upper mountain. A compounding impact has been an increase in the number of ski mountaineers unaware of – or at least not practicing – prudent ski mountaineering techniques. Unsurprisingly, Mt. Rainier park rangers conduct five search and rescue operations and five medical evacuations a week during the peak summer months.

Park rangers in places like Mt. Rainier National Park do an incredible job helping our community by responding to incidents. We’re grateful for the many ways they help us explore and enjoy the mountains and waters that we love. Perhaps the best way we can show our appreciation for land managers and search and rescue personnel is to become responsible outdoor recreationists. It’s one of the things about The Mountaineers I’m most proud of: our commitment to helping people learn and practice the skills they need to enjoy the outdoors as safely and respectfully as possible.

That ethos has been modeled by our volunteer leaders every day for the last 116 years. Safe, responsible recreation is a cornerstone of one of our core values: education. We share knowledge, empowering others to safely and responsibly pursue outdoor activities. I’m continually in awe of the commitment of our volunteer leaders who share their expertise with thousands of students every year. And I’m grateful for the impact our leaders have in helping people develop strong outdoor ethics and self-reliance. I look forward to supporting this tireless crew as we enter another bustling course season full of opportunity to help more people find belonging in the outdoors.

Tom Vogl Mountaineers CEO

Tom on Mt. Rainier. Photo by Andrew Dearborn. The Mountaineers is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1906 and dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas.

EDITOR Hailey Oppelt CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kristina Ciari, Skye Michel DESIGNER Sarah Kulfan, Beans n' Rice

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Tom Vogl EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Tom Helleberg DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Amber Carrigan PROOFREADER Kate Regan PUBLICIST Kate Jay

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS President Gabe Aeschliman Retiring President Vik Sahney Vice President Manisha Powar VP of Branches James Henderson VP of Outdoor Centers Matt Simerson Secretary Carry Porter Treasurer Paul Stevenson

DIRECTORS AT LARGE Serene Chen Rich Johnston Brynne Koscianski Takeo Kuraishi Maya Magarati Steve McClure Roger Mellem John Ohlson Alex Pratt Anita Wilkins Siana Wong

BRANCH DIRECTORS Maura Rendes, Bellingham Matt Vadnal, Everett Vacant, Foothills Jerry Logan, Kitsap Mike Kretzler, Olympia Brad Near, Seattle Mark Kerr, Tacoma

YOUTH BOARD REPRESENTATIVES Serophina Ouyoumjian Katie Strauz-Clark

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Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Mountaineers.