Mt. Rainier is one of the greatest climbing challenges in North
America. Doing this cache poses considerable risk and hardship. Do
not attempt this cache without proper training and preparation.
Hazards include weather, avalanches (I saw two large ones while
there setting up this cache), rock fall, altitude sickness and much
more! You also will need to get a climbing permit. To log this
cache please feel the rocks and mud at the posted coordinates and
describe them to me in an email. Add a photo to your log if you
can.
Seven significant thermal areas above 3,350 meters on the
volcano, including one at the summit, which reflects a narrow,
central hydrothermal system forming steam-heated snowmelt at the
summit craters and localized leakage of steam-heated fluids within
2 kilometers of the summit. Active fumaroles were recognized at the
summit of Mount Rainier at the time of the first authenticated
climb to the top of the volcano in 1870, and the lavas of the
summit cone have locally been hydrothermally altered to a loose,
sandy, clay-bearing material. The evidence now available clearly
indicates that all the large clayey lahars at Mount Rainier were
derived from areas of hydrothermally altered rock on the
volcano.