This was our first time going up to the Camp Muir, and honestly I was a little bit concerned if we would be able to make it to the top. We've done some moderate hikes like Mailbox, Mt Teneriffe, McClellan Butte etc, but everyone kept saying that Camp Muir is in completely different league. Especially considering the fact that the weather changes there so fast and whiteout could become fatal in minutes. But this Sunday we got lucky and the weather was just perfect, so we didn't have any troubles going up.
There were about 10-20 parking spots available at the Paradise parking lot by the time we arrived around 8:30 in the morning. And lots of any kind of hikers on the trail: from guys in tank shirts and slippers to fully equipped climbers heading to the summit.
All the way to Glacier Vista/Panorama Point the trail is paved, almost snow-free and really well maintained, with absolutely amazing views of Alpine Meadows. So you can do this part without any gear or experience.
The snow starts right after Pebble Creek and remains all the way to Camp Muir. As I said before, it was a nice sunny day, and there were so many people, so there was no chance to not to find the trail. The snow was packed pretty well - no potholing whatsoever, but we were wearing microspikes all the way up anyway. Trekking poles were even more useful, especially going down. Gaters would be helpful but my friend ended up taking them off as it was way too hot. So I would recommend either low gaiters or some pants that have a hook that you can attach to your shoelaces to prevent any snow from getting into your shoes. I think, it's obvious that waterproof shoes is a must at this point.
The ascending went pretty smooth. The only thing you should definitely take into account is that at this elevations the air is getting really thin and due to oxygen starvation your body could feel different. I personally felt some weakness and dizziness. After each stop I was able to make about 50 more steps before my heart rate would go up and I had to take another stop. But the view from the top is definitely worth it. Not to mention the satisfaction of the fact that you've made it :-)
We hanged out at the camp for about an hour, I even managed to take a quick nap and headed back to the parking lot. Going down was much easier for sure. A lot of people were just glissading on their bottoms, some of them were using stuff to reduce friction like big plastic bags etc. It looked like fun.
Overall in moderate pace with a lot of stops for taking pictures it took us about 4,5 hours to get up and about 2,5 back. And it was one of the best hikings so far!
PS don't forget to use plenty of sun protection. We applied sunscreen right before ascending and left it in the car. Definitely, it was our mistake and my ears are as red as tomatoes now :-) FYI: Here is some cool resource to check weather forecast at different elevation of Rainier.
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