Guided ascent of Mount Rainier from Camp Muir to South summit.

Day 1 - Gear check, practiced self-arrest on snow.

Day 2 - morning at Paradise parking lot. Ascent to Camp Muir with full packs

• not too bad. Cleared snow for tents and "slept" until midnight.

Day 3 - Breakfast and geared up (with much ligher packs). Probably started around 1am. Saw aurora on horizon! Lights of E. Washington cities visible. Made a few crevasse crossings on metal ladders - scary with crampons! A couple from the party couldn't make it and went back with a guide. Neared summit after sunrise - last push was hard but not technical. Coming down was more strenuous - hotter and hard to walk downhill on rock with crampons.

At Muir, broke down camp and glissaded down the steep snow. Paradise trails were completely overrun by tourists, making the last few miles slow and frustrating. Much needed bathroom break at the Paradise lodge and a last lunch outside the park with the guides' Nepalese friends.

Drove back to Seattle on the same day - a bad idea. I didn't realize how tired I was and how little sleep I was driving on. Was paranoid to be pulled over!

Would do again ?