Yup, the rain/snow is here for the season (though the weekend does look nice.) There was some fresh snow on the Muir Snowfield earlier this week, but the freezing level jumped back up to over 10,000' today, so the wintery white goodness is probably suffering under the burden of the Pineapple Express (note: temps at Muir reached 37 degrees).
As an observation, climbing visitation has dropped quite a bit over the past few weeks. I wish that I had more to share about things on Rainier. Work, however, has detailed me to Olympic National Park because of a tragic employee accident. Therefore, my ability to be on the mountain has been nil.
And with that said, I'll be visiting New Orleans next week... With a nickname like "Gator," you have to visit the relatives on occasion. Since Hurricane Katrina, I've been MIA, so it's time to reconnect w/ my bayou blood. BTW, a number of folks say I look (and sometimes act) like James Carville... Is that true?
As always, if you've any (and I mean ANY) field reports, please send them along, as they are greatly appreciated. I hope the fall is treating you all well.
