Holy hand warmers batman! Bring it all, along with your foot warmers, parka, and face protection. If the temps weren't cold enough, the wind chill dipped the frozen landscape experienced by humans into the teens.
PASS use your interagency pass, senior pass or paid pass to enter Mt Rainier National Parks Nisqually entrance.
GATE ENTRANCE the upper gate at Longmire was clear. The gate to Paradise opened a bit after 9 am with minimal icy patches. This gate is closed Tuesday-Thursday this winter season due to a staffing shortage. Chains must be carried in your vehicle.
PARKING The drive up from the Nisqually gate to Longmire was a bit icy and slick and continued past Longmire. It was well plowed with some light gravel for traction. A lot of parking help and assistance at the top parking area. Bathroom is nearby.
TRIP We probably could have used micro spikes but this was a snowshoe course for Olympia Mountaineers. We ended up just short of Glacier Vista due to strong winds and wind chill in the teens. A few folks mentioned toes and fingers feeling a bit numb so be careful. Also stay hydrated, bring your 10 essentials, extra food and be prepared.
We ended up going about 2.2 miles and 750' elevation and practiced a lot of snowshoe skills along the way. Great company and wonderful course, even got a nice lesson on avalanche reports and how the field reporters gather data and report. https://nwac.us
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