Huge rockfall on Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier, WA 2011.06.25. ~1602
Smaller and larger rockfalls happened during the day about hourly. Around 4pm a huge part of Nisqually Cleaver fell down, creating a fast river of rock and snow.
It was the biggest that day.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Mount Rainier
• rockfall
• debris
• Nisqually Cleaver
• danger
• avalanche

[thevisioncreation]

I've crossed Nisqually Glacier three times in the previous year and planned to do it again soon. After this event I may rethink it. Great video!

[x0s0p0y]

@thevisioncreation You should certainly wait until it calms down. Especially as there was another massive fall on Monday, I think.

[godsfireworks]

@tredashere Definitely not. Although there is a certainty it will go off SOMETIME, it could be weeks or it could be thousands of years. As of right now there is no evidence that it is going to go off soon. No increase in seismic activity, heat flow, or movement of the mountain. This rockfall was caused by gravity alone. when it heats up, the US geological survey will let us know. We're good, for now at least.

[desroyerboy]

I think that was lava flow

[nisquallymidget]

I was on the mountain when that happened and I was shocked. Nice video of it.

[ajussiwannabe]

Holy crap! Thanks for the video. I'm planning to climb Rainer in the summer of 2012 and I hope this doesn't happen when I'm there.

[fetishalchemy]

Wow, thank you for posting this! This is a great example of this geographical phenomenon on video because even though you zoomed in, you kept the camera focused and from shaking. Those close up shots are some of the best I have ever seen, geologically speaking. I have a renewed sense of just how "liquid" the rocks can act all on their own, even through/during snowpacks. As a late season skier, it is always something I wondered about.

[marcjtdc]

LAHAR!

[biglawso]

Tractor tube.....Anyone???

[brotaque]

This is frightening! Great video!

[lovelplants]

oh.. that's very dangerous.. my god..

[mclanta]

@godsfireworks

I certainly hope so. Through the grapevine (I'm on the mountain all the time as I live 20 mins away from the Carbon River entrance) Is that they have seen limited seismic increase but there has been increase vs what was seen 10 or even 20 years ago, some steam release but all of this minor. They do say however that Rainer is "waking up" she's always been awake so lol yea.. i just know i want to know when she is going to blow. I have a great view from my spot on the hill.

[mclanta]

@godsfireworks

Yea i hear ya man, I walk the Foot Hills Trail every single day.. The Lahar is always in my mind as I'm right in its path, at some points getting 50-100ft up is pretty hard, not so bad at others but yea would suck to hit while out on the trail.