Eagle Peak Saddle — Friday, Apr. 6, 2001

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise

Olympia Mountaineers' Conditioner ""Climb"" We were trying Wahpenayo Peak, but didn't get anywhere close. The weather was cold and unsettled with snow showers. We left the parking lot at about 8:45AM. There is some blow down in the first half mile or so, but easily gotten around. Snow on the trail pretty solid from about 3500' elev. We stayed on the trail until we reached 4800' just below the meadow. (I missed the turn off up the drainage.) At that point we put on snowshoes, a necessity, dropped down into the trees and traversed cross-country. After few mis-cues in the woods we arrived at the base of the clearing below the Chutla - Wahpenayo saddle, elev. 5100'+. It was snowing hard at this time and cold. The slope disappeared up into the clouds. I've been up there before and know how steep it is. So we stopped and dug a snow pit. There was about a foot of fluffy new powder on top of an icy layer. There was a lot of avalanche debris below the saddle, both old and a little new. It was obvious the slope had not unloaded, avalanche city! So discretion being the better part of valor, we came home to live to climb another day. We kept our snowshoes on and followed the drainage back down to intersect the trail at 4400'. Four hours up, two down. Six hour round trip, an adequate work out!