Another view.
Five of the eight climbers in our group left around 1:30am to try for the summit. They are going to be allowed 8 hours roundtrip (typically you need 12 - 13 hours). One of the guys comes back around 5am - he couldn't keep up. At around 7:30am, I am up and looking around with one of the other guys that didn't go up. We look up the mountain (you still can't see the very top from where we were) and can see tiny little figures moving down the mountain. There looks to be three or four rope teams coming down.
Big crevasse on the rightside of the picture.
As they get closer we figure it must be the four guys from our group (two rope teams with two of our guides).
Another view of climbers coming down the mountain. Looks like three or four rope teams.
Another view of the big crevasse. Look at the size of the people compared to the crevasse!!!
As they get closer, we can tell it's our lead guide Joel with Dave and Anders. Behind them is Kate, Tim, and Robert. They are 3 hours early! What happened?
A close-up of the group. Turns out they had to turn around at 12,000'. Apparently the weather was pretty bad and it was very difficult to find a route up the mountain with all the crevasses. Dave tells us he was "holding on for dear life" --- and he's probably the most fit of the group! Anders is "wiped out". Dave also tells us "it's a whole different world up there". I figured it would be pretty difficult and I'm glad I didn't try it. My boots are too loose (& heavy --- I want the boots the guides have ---- their boots weigh 2 lbs 3 oz and mine weigh 5 lbs 13 oz!) and I'd be afraid of a mis-step. We talk to some of the climbers from another group that is coming down. They didn't make it to the top either. Later I find out that no one has "summitted" yet this year from the side (Emmons) we were on!! (Geez . . . I wish I had known this side was going to be so more difficult than the other side of the mountain. )
After both groups get down, we have breakfast and pack up. We're heading down around 9:30am. Below the guides are taking there time (!) packing up to go down the mountain. They expect it will take 4 - 5 hours from Camp Schurman to the White River Campground parking lot . . . and then we have a 3 - 4 hour drive back to Ashford. We are all talking about what we are going to eat once we get back to civilization. (I can't wait for a diet pepsi and salty potato chips.) We also talk about what we aren't going to be eating for awhile when we get back! We all had way too many Snickers bars!!
We rest for 20 minutes or more enjoying the warm weather and knowing we only have another 3 1/2 or 4 miles to go --- downhill. Of course I'm remembering all the creeks and big trees and bolders I know we will have to climb over. I offer my food to the others . . . anything to lighten my pack. Luckily Joel wants my Pop Tarts - they're heavy!! I pose for a picture next to our melted wall.
The group is resting and soaking up the sun. I think the temperature was 72 degrees!!
A view back down toward the forest --- where we're headed.
More resting . . .
Packed up and ready to finish off the "hike".
We finally get going and head down the glacier to the forest. We're moving fast but it's farther than I remember. The melted snow causes several in our group to fall through the snow, when we cross over the creeks and bridges.
We stop two more times on the way down. It's a lot of pressure on the thighs and ankles going downhill. Lots of rocks to step over, but somehow not quite as many streams. We make it back to the White River Campground's parking lot around 2:30pm. We all smell pretty bad! We've been wearing the same clothes for 4 days!! AAGGHH!! Luckily, Joel had mentioned that we might want to throw an extra pair of shoes in the van for the ride back to Ashford. I threw in a shirt, pants, and shoes. It felt great to change. We are told that under no circumstance was anyone to take off their climbing boots in the van because of the stink!!! Before we pack into the van for the 3+ hour drive back to Ashford, we pose for a picture. Read flags down someone to take a group picture(s). From Left to Right: Pete, Anders, Ken, Kate (guide), Dave, Jeff (guide), Read, Tim, Lexie, Robert, Katie (guide), Joel (lead guide). 
We stop at a little shop on the way back to Ashford. I get a diet pepsi that just "burns" as it goes down. It tastes so good and so does the salty potato chips. Once we get back to Whittakers in Ashford, we sort out our gear and return our rental stuff and "group gear". We clean up a bit and meet for a group celebration dinner of pizza and beer. Joel congratulates each of us for completing the climb & gives us a certificate. He stresses that it's not about "summitting" it's about "climbing the mountain" and all the experiences that go with it. You never know what the mountain will do & you can't control it. Although we didn't have a real chance of summitting, I thought it was a great experience. I learned a ton about what clothes and gear is needed and "if" I ever try it again, I will be so much better prepared. Also, the fact that we had to deal with the difficult weather, torn tents & broken poles, I probably learned so much more about "respecting" the mountain. After we finish eating, the guides ask "who is going to try the climb again sometime?". Everyone except me says "yes, they'll be back next year". I just don't know if I would ever be able to carry so much weight on my back & I think I need different boots to keep my feet from sliding around. 
Another view of the big crevasse. Look at the size of the people compared to the crevasse!!!
As they get closer, we can tell it's our lead guide Joel with Dave and Anders. Behind them is Kate, Tim, and Robert. They are 3 hours early! What happened?
A close-up of the group. Turns out they had to turn around at 12,000'. Apparently the weather was pretty bad and it was very difficult to find a route up the mountain with all the crevasses. Dave tells us he was "holding on for dear life" --- and he's probably the most fit of the group! Anders is "wiped out". Dave also tells us "it's a whole different world up there". I figured it would be pretty difficult and I'm glad I didn't try it. My boots are too loose (& heavy --- I want the boots the guides have ---- their boots weigh 2 lbs 3 oz and mine weigh 5 lbs 13 oz!) and I'd be afraid of a mis-step. We talk to some of the climbers from another group that is coming down. They didn't make it to the top either. Later I find out that no one has "summitted" yet this year from the side (Emmons) we were on!! (Geez . . . I wish I had known this side was going to be so more difficult than the other side of the mountain. )
After both groups get down, we have breakfast and pack up. We're heading down around 9:30am. Below the guides are taking there time (!) packing up to go down the mountain. They expect it will take 4 - 5 hours from Camp Schurman to the White River Campground parking lot . . . and then we have a 3 - 4 hour drive back to Ashford. We are all talking about what we are going to eat once we get back to civilization. (I can't wait for a diet pepsi and salty potato chips.) We also talk about what we aren't going to be eating for awhile when we get back! We all had way too many Snickers bars!!
We finally head down from Camp Schurman. It's unbelievable how much quicker it is to go down vs. up --- which shouldn't be surprising, but it's still steep going down too! There is the one stretch that we have to go up, before we go down. It's very steep and we have to cut our steps into the side of the mountain as we lean to our left. One mis-step and I feel like I may slide down the side on my right. I take one look to my right --- it's steep and drops off quickly. Unfortunately it's too hard to stop and take a picture, so you'll have to believe me when I say it was "scary steep". After the short uphill, we round the corner and we're back on the InterGlacier which took us up 2 1/2 hours to climb up yesterday. Today, it takes us about 20 - 30 minutes to get down. We start by hiking, but it's so steep it's hard to keep our rope (which we're hooked to) out of our feet. We are the third rope team and I notice that the other groups are now "sliding" down the mountain. Our guide turns to me and says "are you up for it" and of course I say "sure". She tells us to use our ice axe to slow us down if we need to. Basically we sit down and get ready for a huge long slide down the mountain. It's called "glissading". Since I don't have a picture, I've found one & included it below. It was so much fun and we flew down the mountain. Saves on the thigh muscles!!
We finish our "slide" back to our campsite in Glacier Basin. This is where we had spent two nights. Today the weather is much warmer than it had been the day before and the snow is now "mashed potatoes". It's difficult to walk in. Our walls from our campsite have melted. We stop to take our first rest of the day outside the walls. We all strip down to t-shirts (roll up our long sleeves if that's all we have) --- it's HOT!
We finish our "slide" back to our campsite in Glacier Basin. This is where we had spent two nights. Today the weather is much warmer than it had been the day before and the snow is now "mashed potatoes". It's difficult to walk in. Our walls from our campsite have melted. We stop to take our first rest of the day outside the walls. We all strip down to t-shirts (roll up our long sleeves if that's all we have) --- it's HOT!
We rest for 20 minutes or more enjoying the warm weather and knowing we only have another 3 1/2 or 4 miles to go --- downhill. Of course I'm remembering all the creeks and big trees and bolders I know we will have to climb over. I offer my food to the others . . . anything to lighten my pack. Luckily Joel wants my Pop Tarts - they're heavy!! I pose for a picture next to our melted wall.
The group is resting and soaking up the sun. I think the temperature was 72 degrees!!
A view back down toward the forest --- where we're headed.
More resting . . .
Packed up and ready to finish off the "hike".
We finally get going and head down the glacier to the forest. We're moving fast but it's farther than I remember. The melted snow causes several in our group to fall through the snow, when we cross over the creeks and bridges.
Lots of the snow has melted since we came through 3 days ago. We pass people headed up - some of who are carrying their skis!!
We stop two more times on the way down. It's a lot of pressure on the thighs and ankles going downhill. Lots of rocks to step over, but somehow not quite as many streams. We make it back to the White River Campground's parking lot around 2:30pm. We all smell pretty bad! We've been wearing the same clothes for 4 days!! AAGGHH!! Luckily, Joel had mentioned that we might want to throw an extra pair of shoes in the van for the ride back to Ashford. I threw in a shirt, pants, and shoes. It felt great to change. We are told that under no circumstance was anyone to take off their climbing boots in the van because of the stink!!! Before we pack into the van for the 3+ hour drive back to Ashford, we pose for a picture. Read flags down someone to take a group picture(s). From Left to Right: Pete, Anders, Ken, Kate (guide), Dave, Jeff (guide), Read, Tim, Lexie, Robert, Katie (guide), Joel (lead guide). 
We stop at a little shop on the way back to Ashford. I get a diet pepsi that just "burns" as it goes down. It tastes so good and so does the salty potato chips. Once we get back to Whittakers in Ashford, we sort out our gear and return our rental stuff and "group gear". We clean up a bit and meet for a group celebration dinner of pizza and beer. Joel congratulates each of us for completing the climb & gives us a certificate. He stresses that it's not about "summitting" it's about "climbing the mountain" and all the experiences that go with it. You never know what the mountain will do & you can't control it. Although we didn't have a real chance of summitting, I thought it was a great experience. I learned a ton about what clothes and gear is needed and "if" I ever try it again, I will be so much better prepared. Also, the fact that we had to deal with the difficult weather, torn tents & broken poles, I probably learned so much more about "respecting" the mountain. After we finish eating, the guides ask "who is going to try the climb again sometime?". Everyone except me says "yes, they'll be back next year". I just don't know if I would ever be able to carry so much weight on my back & I think I need different boots to keep my feet from sliding around. 
