43| In a Single Day: Mount Rainier

The sunrise strikes a bright and golden hue across the tops of dark blue clouds, shrouding the others in mist below the line. 

It’s a view you can’t believe you’re seeing, a view you can’t believe you’re experiencing, and a view you will never take for granted. 

Mountaineering in the early 1900s was vastly different than what we experience today. 

Yet, women were stills out there, and doing it and paving the way for women today to experience the same awe inspiring beauty they got to see,  on a mountain, above the clouds. 

Welcome back to tragedy with a View. I’m your host Kayla and welcome to our free solo episode where I venture out on my own without a cohost and provide you with a short story to be enjoyed while you are waiting on the episodes I cohost with my friends.

Mount Rainier, also known as Mount Tacoma, received the name Rainier from British Royal Navy captain George Vancouver who decided to name the mountain after his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier, in 1792.

Rainier, while the official name of the mountain, is also called Tacoma, especially in the early days of mountaineering. The name Tacoma came from the Puyallop tribe and was identified by Theodore Winthrop who wrote a book on traveling through the area and referred to the mountain as Tacoma rather than rainier. His book was released in 1862 after he passed away. The names were seen as interchangeable. 

Mount rainier national park became the 5th national park in 1899 and encompasses the entire mountain. Mount rainier is 14,410 feet in elevation or 4392 meters in elevation. 

In 2020, the park had 2 million people come through its gates, which may seem like a lot, but this doesn’t even make it into the top 10 most visited parks in the US. 

Roughly 500,000 years ago, the mountain that we know as rainier, as well as the Cascades range, began to develop. This occurred when the Juan De Fuca Plate subducted, or shifted beneath the North American Plate. 

For 500,000 years, the range was forced higher and higher, but Rainier is an active volcano. Around 5,600 years ago, Rainier released a massive lava flow, that created a crater at its top and reduced the size of the mountain from its tallest point, which is estimated to be around 16,000 feet or 4,876 meters in elevation. 

This release is known as the Osceola Mudflow and subsequence releases over the past 5,600 years have decreased the mountains size even more to what we see today. 

The most recent eruption from Rainier occurred 150 years ago, however it was a very minor eruption and some scientists fear that Rainier could erupt in a significant capacity and endanger the communities surrounding it. In fact, Tacoma and South Seattle, Washington are both built on top of the remnants of the Osceola Mudflow, that in those areas were 100 feet or 30.5 meters thick. 

The potential devastation from Rainier erupting has two dark potentials. First, it could create the classic laval explosion, where the molten lava flows down and through the park, likely ending just outside of the parks boarders and far from major communities at risk. Based on airflow in the area, this would also mean that the ash released would likely blow to the East, also meaning away from the Major Cities. That is not to say that communities wouldn’t be impacted, but there are different procedures when it comes to evacuating small towns vs big cities. 

The other option for eruption that Rainier could potentially bring to the table, is what is called a Lahar. A lahar is, in short, a flash flood of debris that is caused by the heat caused by an eruption melting the snow and glacial ice and creating a very large, very fast moving river of Lava, water, rocks, trees, dirt, and anything else it picks up in its way. This gives me the feel of a much more fluid and deadly avalanche. 

In 1985, Nevado Del Ruiz, a volcano in Colombia, erupted and within a couple of hours a massive Lahar swept down the mountain and into the town of Armero, which was 30 miles or 49 km away. This Lahar killed 23,000 people. Once the debris field comes to rest, much like an avalanche, it begins to solidify and is nearly impossible to escape. 

The concern is that Rainier has 8 times as much snow, ice and glaciers as Nevado Del Ruiz did, meaning the impact could be significantly larger than the 1985 event. 

Rainier is surrounded by the largest mountain glaciers in the continental united states. These glaciers cover 100 square miles or 260 square kilometers, creating 12 separate glaciers on Mount rainier. 

In 1908 a group decided to climb Mount Rainier, and in this group there was 9 women. Those in the group are identified through a letter to one of the climbers family members, as Edith and Anna Post, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, Miss Drake, Miss Hard, Miss Dally, Miss Clancy, Mrs. Dow, Alice and, the author of this letter, Jessie May Carson. 

Jessie May, also known as Jess, would bring her journal with her, along with a camera, to document the climb. 

On August 8, 1908 at 1:30 pm, the group left Tacoma and arrived to Ashford, Washington at around 4:00 pm. From here, they navigated to Longmire Springs hotel that was at about 2,800 feet or 850 meters in elevation. Here, they met up with more of their climbing group, which included Ralph Clark, Mr. Morrow, and Mr. Hayden. Others would join later on the mountain. 

The following morning, everyone packed their bags and handed them off to be carried to their first camp location, 7 miles or 11 km away at 6,000 feet or 1828 meters in elevation, known as Camp Reese. Their bags were carried by pack horses, rather than strapped to the climbers backs.

The group set out, on foot, to climb to Camp Reese and would arrive about 5 horus later. Camp Reese was located in Paradise Valley and on their way, the group passed huge pine trees, the crystal colored Paradise River, Narada Falls that rivals Niagra Falls, and trails that were soft and forgiving beneath their feet. 

The way that Jess described it in her letter indicated that there was not a sight in the rockies that rivaled what she was seeing in Rainier. 

Once at Reese Camp, the group found that their tents had already been set up. There were 15 tents in total, one of which belonging to their guide, Joe,  and they were informed that just a few weeks before that day, where their tents were situated, there had been 10 feet or 3 meters of snow. 

It was also here that Jess begins to realize how poorly fitted her shoes were. They were just a bit too big and were rubbing her heels raw, and causing painful blisters to develop. Not only this, but on the first day Jess was already complaining about her legs hurting from the climbing. 

That evening, Jess, Alice, Ms. Dale, Miss Hard and Mr. Wilson all walked down to the YMCA camp that was located nearby, as some people they knew would be there. It was there that some of the group decided to climb to Alta Vista, which is a plateau near 7,000 feet or 2134 meters in elevation. The trail was littered in rocks that the group had to climb over and by the time they started this hike, it was dark out, so they were lead by the clear night sky full of stars and a half moon giving them light. 

From the top, they could see both Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. On thier way back down, Jess, Alice and Mr. Wilson got tired of climbing, so when they got to the top of the snow field that lead down to the YMCA camp, they sat down on thier butts and slid down to camp. 

Once back at camp, they sat around a roaring fire with about 40 other people. 

But, the night would go quickly, and more difficult and challenging days laid ahead. Their plan was to follow their guide, Joe Stampfler’s, advice and climb Pinnacle Peak first, to see if climbing rainier was truly something they could handle. 

Pinnacle Peak is at 8,000 feet or 2438 meters of elevation, and to get to the peak you have to cross snow fields and hug the side of the mountain before climbing a vertical shaft of ice and rock for about 350 feet or 107 meters. If you fall the wrong direction from the top, there is nothing to break your fall until you reach the bottom about 1,000 feet or 305 meters beneath you. 

It took the group the entire day to climb pinnacle peak, but they made it and felt like it was a lot of fun, especially on their return as they slid down the snow fields without much care for possible crevasses opening while they were over them. 

The following day, they decided to take as a rest day to just recoup and refocus on what they were about to do. And Jess was relieved for this, as her boots were, of course, still painfully rubbing her heels. 

At 1 am on August 12, which would be their 5th day, their Guide, Joe, woke everyone up with a hot pot of coffee with the intention of setting off for the summit at 2:30 in the morning. 

Joe, being a pro at this, got everyone going and moving at this ungodly hour. 

Every 15 minutes or so, the group would stop for just a moment or two before they would start climbing again. At about 6:40 am, the group reached the next camp, known as Camp Muir, at 8,000 feet or 2438 meters in elevation. And it was on their way there that Jess witnessed the most amazing sunrise she had ever seen. 

It seemed as if dark blue mist was surrounding them as the stars began to wink out overhead.  And as they climbed the mist turned into a sheet of clouds beneath them as they climbed higher than these clouds. As the sun shined brilliantly all around them, only the peaks of the tallest mountains could be seen poking out of the dark blue sea of clouds they had just been engulfed in. 

The sunrise highlighted the peaks of the mountains and left the entire group in awe of not only what they were doing but also the beauty in which they were standing on. 

Once they arrived at camp Muir, though, questions about continuing began to be voiced. Some felt the ice fields were long and daunting, and over breakfast they discussed who would continue and who was going to wait at camp Muir to rejoin the group on the decent. 

In the end, everyone set out from Camp Muir at 7:15 am and started their ascent up a rock formation called the elevator. They followed these rocks until they reached Gibraltar rock at about 10 am. 

Gibraltar rock is a rock formation that is at about 12,000 feet or 3658 meters in elevation, and during this time of day, is very dangerous because the sun melts the snow surrounding it, allowing rocks to loosen and fall down the mountain side. 

Gibraltar rock is now known as Gib Ledges and is classified as a grade 2, which in mountaineering means the routes are no technical but you will be exposed to knife edge ridges, potential vast weather chances and high altitude elevation. 

Joe, their guide, took the time to explain to them what to expect and how dangerous this section was. He explained that in the last 10 guides he lead, not a single group made it through the area without one of the members getting hit by a falling rock and injured in some degree. 

But, continue on they did. The path was extremely dangerous, as in some sections the trail was barely wide enough for a person’s feet and the protruding rocks forced everyone to cling and crouch and lean to maneuver around them. 

When Jess looked down, at one point, she realized that there was nothing to stop her from hitting Nisqually glacier that was 2,500 feet or 762 meters below. This glacier extends all the way down to Longmire’s camp. In addition to this, as they went the trail deteriorated and became severely slanted and covered with small, loose rocks.

This trail, as it wound around the rock, inclined enough to lead them to the top of the rock. The rock was big enough that it took them 2 hours to make it nearly the entire way, but then as one final assault, there was an ice wall they would have to climb in order to get to the top of this landmark. 

Down the ice wall hung two ropes. In order to climb this ice wall, that stood nearly 300 feet or 92 meters tall, the guide would be the first to go up and explained the process as he went. Joe would kick out foot holds as he went so that the others would know were to put their feet. 

In addition to this, each person had what is called an Alpenstock which is a long wooden pole with essentially an ice pick on the end. So they were to hold onto the ropes in one hang, use the Alpenstock in the other, and then follow the footholds that Joe created. 

They would stab the ice pick end of the alpenstock into the ice, and then shimmy their way up the rope and alpenstock, which using the footholds that Joe created. 

Not to worry though, everyone made it through uninjured.

And the entire time, any time one of the members of their group would voice that they didn’t think they could do something, Joe would encourage them on with stern and straightforward directions.

The most mind boggling part of this to me is the fact that in her letter, Jess brags that no one tied together at any point during this. Even when it got sketchy and doubts started to creep into the others minds. But, I digress, this was 1908. It was a different time. 

Once at the top of the ledge, they took a small break to drink some water and lol relax before setting off for another 3 hours to the summit. 

It was here, though, that they were passing over sections that were filled with crevasses. The first section they were to pass over was White River Glacier, and once they were here some realized that they had made a mistake. 

Bitterly cold wind swept over the ridge and descended onto the party, most of which had removed their wool sweaters and left them at the top of Gibraltar Rock. 

For nearly 3 hours those who felt the cold winds to their bones froze a little more as they climbed higher and higher. Their sweat turning to icy chills, their hands going numb, and then that numbness creeping up their arms. 

Yet, they didn’t stop pushing forward until they made it to the summit. Once there, Joe removed his sweater and gave it to Jess to keep warm, and then as they took in the view from the summit, she began to help rub some of the others arms and legs who were suffering from the cold as well. 

Here, Jessie Mae and Alice signed the register that was kept at the summit and they officially became the first women to climb Mount Rainier in a single day. Fay Fuller was the first woman to climb Mount Rainier, in 1887, and Jess, like Fay, climbed to the summit in a skirt. All of the other women in their party backed out at some point during the climb, and even Alice considered not going farther once she made it to the top of Gibraltar rock. 

Going down, as usual, is more dangerous but faster than going up. The 3 hour trek from the top of Gibraltar rock to the summit, only took an hour on the return. 

By the time night descended and 10:30 pm hit, every single person was asleep in their tents at Paradise. 

The following day Jess and her group was back at the base of the mountain, and the following day she took a train in to town so that she could have a manicure- funny but same. 

In her letter to an Aunt, Jess describes the experience as being incredible, and that she was happy to have accomplished this, but she wasn’t likely to do it again. 

https://www.historylink.org/file/21111

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/21592835b4ab4ecab5a8aa1b44d9c686