1. Preface
Mount Rainier National Park is a natural paradise filled with spectacular peaks. One hundred peaks (beyond Mount Rainier) are found in, and immediately adjacent to, the park. Almost all of these 100 peaks can be climbed in a day. Fifteen merely require hiking skills, 76 require scrambling skills, and 9 require climbing skills.
The authors acknowledge the Mountaineers Club, where we learned the skills to experience these magnificent places. We donate any proceeds and royalties earned to the Mountaineers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people to explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the outdoors.
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Guide to 100 Peaks
This enhanced guidebook can help you reach these peaks safely. It contains high-resolution and scalable topological maps showing the route; links to Google Earth images of the peak and route; and links to other useful resources.
Please note: All the cool technology is not a substitute for good navigation skills and sound mountaineering judgment. In this somewhat subjective and personal guide we offer our opinions on the best and the worst of the 100. We also offer options for climbing multiple peaks in a single day: two-fers, three-fers, four-fers, even seven-fers.
Though the “Big One” looms over all the peaks in the park, this is not a guide to climbing Mount Rainier. There are ample good route descriptions for climbing the Big One. Rather, this is a comprehensive guide to the all the other peaks in the park.
We hope you have the opportunity to visit as many of these places as possible. Enjoy and be safe.
Preface to the 6th Edition
The 6th edition of Guide to 100 Peaks at Mount Rainier National Park continues our effort to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information. We have updated and improved several routes and route descriptions. For all these editions we especially appreciate the assistance of Bill Fortney, Henry Romer, Grace Parker, Ken Wells, Gretchen Lentz, Gordy Smith, and Margot Tsakonas for helping with these updates and clarifying route descriptions for many of the peaks.
The 6th edition has also been simplified to focus more on the information used to gain the peaks and remove information that is obsolete with the advent of smartphone and GPS navigation. In the 6th edition we have incorporated CalTopo.
Please let us know if you find errors or routes needing updating. Write to 100mrnppeaks@googlegroups.com
How to Use CalTopo
The 6th Edition is the first which links directly to CalTopo. CalTopo is a most capable mapping website which allows us to clean up and eliminate 3 links from previous editions (Google Earth, Weather and Track downloads). It facilitates directly printing high quality geospatial PDF topos. CalTopo user interface is quit intuitive and worth taking some time to explore and use for climbing the 100 Peaks and your other outdoor adventures. Short views follow on how to:
Print topos
View your routes in Google Earth
Look at the NWS 7 day weather forecast for your route, and
download the waypoints, and tracks you select for your GPS
Primary CalTopo Functions
The CalTopo Guided Tour is a good Introduction. This brief introduction is worth spending time on to check it out.
View/Hide banner with Folders, Markers, Lines and access to Edit.
100 Peaks links go to the 7.5’ CalTopo map for that link. You can change to other maps and combinations. Also Hide/View (black bar on the left banner) for access to Edit.
To Print Topo(s) just click it and make selections in the window to customize.
Click NOAA Forecast and then the point you want forecasted.
Just click to download tracks to/for your GPS device and Google Earth viewing.
Display labels and other configurations.
These brief notes just scratch the surface of CalTopo’s capability.
A Note About Safety
Safety is an important concern in all outdoor activities. No guidebook can alert you to every hazard or anticipate the limitations of every reader. Therefore, the descriptions of roads, trails, routes, and natural features in this book are not representations that a particular place or excursion will be safe for your party. When you follow any of the routes described in this book, you assume responsibility for your own safety. Under normal conditions, such excursions require the usual attention to traffic, road and trail conditions, weather, terrain, the capabilities of your party, and other factors. Keeping informed on current conditions and exercising common sense are the keys to a safe, enjoyable outing.
A note about leave no trace (LNT)
We adhere to and support the principles of "leave no trace" and urge you to do so as well. In so doing we leave the beauty of the park intact for future visitors and generations. The alpine soil and ecosystem is very fragile. Adhering to LNT principles means staying on the constructed trail whenever possible and doing everything you can to preserve the delicate environment. For one peak in particular, First Burroughs, we ask that you not go to the actual peak because in so doing you travel over very fragile and open terrain. Reaching the trail nearby counts as the “summit.” The area above Sunrise is particularly susceptible to overuse impact and saying on the trail is vital. When crowds are present we also urge you when you do leave the trail in order to reach a peak (such as Antler and Fremont) to stay as much out of sight as possible in order not to encourage others to wander off the trail.
Ten Essentials:
To prevent or respond to emergencies:
Navigation (map & compass, etc.)
Headlamp
Sun protection
First aid
Knife
To safely spend a night outside:
Fire Starter
Shelter
Extra food
Extra water
Extra clothes
Remember, these are serious mountains with notoriously bad weather so be well prepared.
Abbreviations and Notes
H=Hike
S=Scramble
C=Climb
W=Winter denoting that the destination can be climbed in the winter (and other seasons)
CG=Campground
RS=Ranger station
SR=State Route
TH=Trailhead
NWAC=Northwest Avalanche Center
All elevations are in feet.
Distance is in miles (5b/5 means five miles by bike and 5 miles on foot).
Time is in hours.
Bearing means the degrees from true north for the direction to head. Current declination is 16 degrees east.
Beauty and effort scores are on a 10 point scale with 10 being the most.
Dedication
To the Mountaineers for the skills we have learned.
To our friends for being our hiking, scramble, and climbing partners.
To our contributors who supported this effort with technical expertise on maps and routes and so much more.