[pct-l] Mountain Deaths explored

[Montedodge@aol.com (Montedodge@aol.com)]

 I tend to disgree with Dave in the fact the snow conditions were not at 
fault. In fact on Hood , snow is directly to blame. Flesh ,sun soften snow ( 
as in 11:00a.m. on a nice day) offered no help for crampons or ice axes. Your 
crampons become " Balled Up" with snow and quickly tun into skis and getting 
a good arrest in flesh soft snow is a chore at best!!! Plus, the always big 
crowd near Hood's summit is a Time Bomb as usual. On Rainier, less than half 
the climbers make the top and weather is the reason. If weather holds, most 
folks reach summit, if bad , few climbers reach the top. Two years ago a mid 
-June climb up the Cleaver killed one climber and injured four others because 
of snow slide caused by party farther up the mountain. New snow is much more 
a problem in May or the first half of June than later on. ( New snow doesn't 
bond to old snow) On a normal year, I have never found crevasses a problem 
even in late July. The chances of weather is always better in mid-July and 
the snow still keeps the things still covered. The group on Rainier had 
several things against them from the " Get-Go" . First , no one in their 
party had even summited Rainier before and then to attempt such a difficult 
route was asking for it. Weather was the stopper as it normally is on Rainier 
and and attempt with the same five day forecast as I get at home was poor 
planning. If you want the chance to reach the summit of Rainier , stick to 
days in July!!!! In you go much after August first, crevasses are exposed and 
Hard ice may be found above that makes footing ( and stopping!!) dicey!! If 
you go early , BE PREPARED, as weather can go to hell in a hand basket!! 
Monte


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