TR - I give you...the Fuhrer Finger

**Sphinx** · 06-22-2006, 01:23 PM

Sorry, the pun is irresistible.

Rainier and our line. The red dot is the nap ledge. Blue is up, red is down.

Fuhrer Finger is a striking couloir on the south side of Mt. Rainier. It's well known as a big ski descent, and it sure looked prime ten days ago when I skied to Muir with my dad. That weekend, Phil, Greg, and I headed to Cascade Pass to enjoy the copius corn. At the top of the Yawning Glacier Sky and Hannah showed up. We harvested corn all day, and during the drive back to Seattle plans for this week were discussed.

Hannah lives at Paradise, works for the park service, and typically climbs Rainier at least once a week. Sky is a badass, and typically climbs something stupid big, stupid scary, and scary impressive at least once a week. I am a mediocre athlete and a mediocre skier at best. Yet, I wanted to climb and ski Rainier before I leave Washington in a week. Nobody else was feeling the love, so Sky offered to ski Fuhrer Finger with me. Hannah had a cold, and so decided that an 'easy' day would be a good idea. I just hoped it would slow her down a little.

I had convinced myself that this is a serious route, and I spent most
of Tuesday psyching myself out. I picked Sky up and we headed south, through the traffic lights and traffic jams. We met at the dorms at Paradise at 9 pm Tuesday evening. Hannah broke out the tequila. We decided that leaving at 10pm would offer a decent safety margin given my potential pace.

After pizza and packing, we set off in the fog, our headlamps throwing cones of light through the fog. Sky, having skied two routes right next to Fuhrer Finger in the last few days, knew the best path up the Nisqually and Wilson glacier. I just followed him, so I really have no idea where we were. It grew cold,and the snow was hard. We climbed above the fog somewhere on the glacier. It got cold, and I started feeling tired despite two shots of GU. At the base of the couloir it was still dark. We climbed to a ledge of snow that had melted out from beneath a rock outcropping. We napped and shivered here for about two hours. I was fine, but my thin nylon pants didn't give much insulation to my legs. The short amout of sleep flipped a switch in my brain and I lost the fuzzy, disconnected headache that usually plagues any sleepless endeavours. I traded a whippet for an ice tool and we headed up the couloir right as Adams began to turn pink with the alpenglow.

Adams in the distance. We drive down there tomorrow.

I give you the FUHRER FINGER. I didn't take many photos of the up, I was feeling like I was going to die most of the time.

Here's the Nisqually from the Finger. You can see part of the Muir Snowfield.

Sky sits and waits for the fat slow kid.

They gave me a head start once.

Hannah, on her Mountain. She's climbed it 27 times now.

I slowed down some with the altitude, but Hannah and Sky really started to drop me above 13,000. No headache or nausea, but I was tired. Many evil rolls later and we were at the crater looking up at the true summit. Sky and Hannah headed up. When I followed I punched my leg through a snowbridge. Without skins I decided to be prudent, so I took a photo at the crater rim and waited around for an hour until the other two finished their summit naps. We regrouped and headed down the Nisqually.

My AKPM 'summit' shot. U know my steeze.

My legs were tired, but at 13k or so the snow turned to really nice corn. We weaved through the cracks and seracs, and connected with the Finger. I started feeling really good here, so we ripped it. The snow was nice slush in the chute, barely sluffing, and the nice 45 degree sides of the chute were amazing.

The upper Nisqually Glacier. Tasty!

Sky gets the party started just above the Finger entrance.

Sky in the chute.

Is that sweet or what?

Past the rollover, to the Finger proper.

This is what it looked like below the roll. That's Hannah.

Lower down - the route goes left. Such sweet, sweet corn.

I think she likes it....

The line.

The lower glacier, our tracks, and the Finger on the far right.

A few hops down the choke and we zoomed down the lower glaciers on fantastic corn. Some skin-less skinning brought us back to Pan Point, and we got back to the car by 2:30 (I think?). 9000 feet of great conditions, with great weather, with excellent company. Thank you both, Hannah and Sky.

This was easily my biggest day on skis ever. And a personal altitude record, not counting those poser mountains in Colorado. (

) And I'm stoked that I made it up that hump before I move to San Diego. Yes!!

After twelve hours of sleep, I feel good today. Real good. Good enough for Adams this weekend. I so love the PNW in the spring.

**Karl Stall** · 06-22-2006, 01:30 PM

.

O U T S T A N D I N G !

**Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo** · 06-22-2006, 01:32 PM

Way to get after it. I have followed Sky's site for most of this season and anyone who can keep up with that crazy lunatic is a badass. Congratulations.

**Graupel** · 06-22-2006, 01:33 PM

Very proper TR. Great effort and really sweet pics.

**PNWbrit** · 06-22-2006, 01:34 PM

nice!

Sky is an animal of that there is no doubt.

**Grange** · 06-22-2006, 01:43 PM

Purdy Kul.

**Meadow Skipper** · 06-22-2006, 01:50 PM

Sky? Don't feel bad - that guy's a freakin' ass-kicker. He ends up waiting for just about everyone. He just about made me cry like a little girl once.

Nice skiing and TR.

**Platinum Pete** · 06-22-2006, 01:54 PM

As if all the his ascent speed and technical prowess were not intimidating enough, Sky rubs it in everyone's face by hucking (albeit small in this pic) at 14k on Dynafits with soft ultra-light boots. I say goddamn!

Z · 06-22-2006, 01:55 PM

Very nice.

**Trackhead** · 06-22-2006, 01:57 PM

The way I understand it, the Fuhrer finger has the longest vertical descent in the lower 48.

Nice job tagging that line!

**bcrider** · 06-22-2006, 01:58 PM

Awesome work guys!!!

Nice fuel for the volcano stoke.

Love the cloud deck pics too!

**powstash** · 06-22-2006, 01:59 PM

you sir are the man (and I haven't read the entire thread yet)

I climbed the Kautz a few years back and while climbing the turtle snowfield I was drooooooling over the finger. The Wilson Headwall (skiers right) looks equally as balsy and rewarding.

**bcrider** · 06-22-2006, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

The way I understand it, the Fuhrer finger has the longest vertical descent in the lower 48.

and what is that verical descent amount?

**mmcpheet** · 06-22-2006, 02:00 PM

**Sphinx** · 06-22-2006, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by bcrider

and what is that verical descent amount?

It's 'only' 9k+ right now. Earlier in the year you can ski down to the bridge across the nisqually, giving 10500. But any of these lines give the same vertical.

**bcrider** · 06-22-2006, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Sphinx

It's 'only' 9k+ right now. Earlier in the year you can ski down to the bridge across the nisqually, giving 10500. But any of these lines give the same vertical.

That’s a looooooooooooooooooong descent.

Sweet TR again!

**leroy jenkins** · 06-22-2006, 02:05 PM

Fight the summer! Fight the summer!

Awesome TR, you guys are rock stars.

**greg** · 06-22-2006, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Platinum Pete

Sky rubs it in everyone's face by hucking (albeit small in this pic) at 14k on Dynafits with soft ultra-light boots. I say goddamn!

you forgot to mention the 20 lb backpack.

that surely is a beautiful line.

**alpinepronghorn** · 06-22-2006, 02:42 PM

Yes yes yes.

Looks like a great day. You've got some serious mountain goat friends out there...

**Mofro261** · 06-22-2006, 02:47 PM

- Still on my to do list.

Way to get it done.

**DownhillRider** · 06-22-2006, 02:48 PM

Wow. Those were the types of pics where it took a long time to read the TR, because when you scroll down past one you have to scroll back up to look at it again, and you do that 3 times every pic. Hell yeah.

**Sphinx** · 06-22-2006, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Mofro261

- Still on my to do list.

Way to get it done.

Serious, go do it. There was no rockfall, no crevasse hazard up to 13k. It'll be prime this weekend, and we groomed it for you.

With the high freezing levels hit it pretty early. We had 9k freezing level and it was tending to glop at 1-2pm.

**Squirrel99** · 06-22-2006, 03:04 PM

I LOVE WASHINGTON (there, I said it)

Originally Posted by Sphinx

Serious, go do it. There was no rockfall, no crevasse hazard up to 13k. It'll be prime this weekend, and we groomed it for you.

With the high freezing levels hit it pretty early. We had 9k freezing level and it was tending to glop at 1-2pm.

damn that sounds tempting...-Zbo, Mofro, Graupel, et all? though plans have tentatively been set in motion for a Cascade Pass trip this weekend, I could be swayed.

maybe bcrider or powstash want to hop the "southwest bus" up to Sea town this weekend

**gramps** · 06-22-2006, 03:21 PM

Awesome!

**bcrider** · 06-22-2006, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Squirrel99

maybe bcrider or powstash want to hop the "southwest bus" up to Sea town this weekend

Every fricken year I say I’m coming up there and I never do (just ask sphinx) .

Same goes for Mt Shasta...I am such a loser!

Next year I think the trick will be to get all the Sierra trips (and traditions) out of my system in May so when June comes I can focus on the Cali and PNW Volcanoes.

On a positive note, I am finally going to Mt Shasta tomorrow. Wish me luck.