Mt Rainier Expedition

Schedule of Events

Day	Activity	Owner	Fees
SAT 19Aug	Travel	Shirley Morris	$40 Dep $356.07 Final
SUN 20Aug	Tatoosh Range Shakedown	Climbers: YJB Hikers: Strollers:	.
MON 21Aug	.	.	.
TUE 22Aug	Mt Rainier (to Thu)	Mark Noel	$20
.	Mt St Helens (to Thu)	Dave Rakyta	$8; +$15 for climbers
.	.	.	.
WED 23Aug	.	.	.
THU 24Aug	.	.	.
FRI 25Aug	Tieton River Rafting Steak Barbecue	Shirley Morris	$50 $5
SAT 26Aug	Seattle Tour	???	???
SUN 27Aug	Travel	.	.

NOTES

1. Travel. We have a group contract with United Airlines fly from Manchester to Seattle and return. You are responsible for your own transportation between Hanover and Manchester. The airfare is $356.07. Contact Shirley Morris for availability of seats.

Itinerary:

19 Aug 00 UAL763 MHT 0918 .... UAL939 ORD hhmm SEA 1420

27 Aug 00 UAL942 SEA 1000 ORD hhmm .... UAL1638 ORD hhmm MHT 2013

In Seattle, each family will be responsible for its own car rental. Unaccompanied scouts will travel together in a rental van, each contributing a share of the rental cost. We need an owner for this operation. Top

2. Tatoosh Range Shakedown. The Tatoosh Range is a stunning little string of mountains just south of Mt Rainier itself. On our first full day on the ground, we'll visit this area as a way to get out and see what the Cascades have to offer, shake down our equipment, and get used to the elevation. We'll divide into three groups:

Climbers. The climbers will take an interesting trail up snow slopes to the base of the north wall of Pinnacle Peak. Here we will check out the postage-stamp Pinnacle Glacier, and practice self-arrest and snow climbing up to the Pinnacle-Castle col.
Hikers. The hikers will choose a trail up to Pinnacle Saddle and then around south side of Pinnacle Peak to meet the Climbers.
Strollers. The strollers can take their time walking up the well-graded Pinnacle Saddle Trail to the spectacular views from the Saddle. There will be plenty of time for wildflower gazing, dermal ultraviolet absorption, photography, and standing awestruck at the views of Mt Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and even Mt. Hood to the south. Top

3. Mt St Helens. You know Mt. St. Helens: it's an active volcano! We have two trips planned to the mountain: a day trip to visit the museum and a two-night climb of the mountain.

Ape Cave Geologic Site is thought to be the longest lava tube in the Western Hemisphere. The 12,810-foot tunnel was found within a massive lava flow that oozed from the volcano almost 2000 years ago. Flowing downhill, the stream of lava cooled and formed a hard crust atop the hot lava. In time, the lava drained and left an intricate, winding lava cave behind. The cave was first explored in 1946 by the St. Helens Apes, the local Boy Scout troop for whom the cave is named. Cave temperature is about 42 degrees and several light sources are required.

There are also scenic views along the way and hiking trails as well.

Visitors to Mt. St. Helens pay $8 each for a 3-day pass. Top

4. Mt. Rainier. The Mt. Rainier Venture Crew plans to climb Mt. Rainier.

5. Tieton River Rafting. The trip will be on a wild section of the Tieton River and will be guided by Blue Sky Outfitters. The put-in is about 1 and 1/4 hours away from our campground. The raft trip lasts for 3-4 hours and covers 16 miles of the river. The Tieton is a class 3-4 river that the raft company describes as "Without a doubt, the best overall whitewater trip of the year! Non-stop action, with hardly a breather, this is the fastest moving, and fastest dropping river in the state. The Tieton begins by blowing out of Rimrock dam (warmest river water in the state). Rugged volcanic basalt cliffs line both sides of this mountain canyon, and the sun shines bright since you're on the dry side of the state. Blast through Wild Rose, High Noon, and the unforgettable Waffle Wall. Our guides love this river above all others."

Because of the physical demands of the trip, participants must be at least 10 years old. Otherwise, the trip is open to all. The raft company says that there is great hiking in the Rimrock Canyon area for non-rafters who still want to be part of the action.

At the end of the river run, the guides will be serving the troop a steak barbecue open to rafters and non-rafters alike.

The cost is $50 (a significant discount) for the raft trip and $5 (you can't beat it) for the BBQ. Top

6. Seattle Tour. In order to put ourselves in position for an easy escape on Sunday, we plan to spend Saturday (our last full day) in Seattle. We'll then stay in Seattle overnight, ready to hit the airport Sunday morning. Details of the tour are still pending (we need an owner), but there are several possibilities:

Puget Sound Ferry Ride
The Space Needle

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