On the last day of winter 2005, Eiji and I headed to Mount Rainier National Park in a blizzard to climb one of the Tatoosh peaks. Pinnacle was our objective.
Leaving the road and starting up in deep snow, we encounterd awful conditions leading up to our camp. Worse yet, heavy rains down low managed to soak our gear, jackets and sleeping bags.
After a poor night of sleep, we woke early and started up the mountain. With more deep snow, poor visibility and worries of avalanche, we continued up to the Pinnacle-Castle saddle. There, we decided to head down. Conditions on the upper mountain looked poor, and the weather was worsening.
We descended back to the car without incident, a couple of soppy messes.
*Photos courtesy of Eiji Sugi
Pinnacle Peak, Winter Attempt
