Little Tahoma Peak, a subpeak of Mount Rainier, majestically straddles four immense glacial masses, including the notable Fryingpan Glacier. This impressive summit is situated to the east of the iconic Columbia Crest, a renowned local landmark. Meany Crest, directly accessible via the Summerland Trail, provides a straightforward route to this peak.
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Little Tahoma Peak at a Glance
Access: Summerland Trailhead
Round Trip: 16 miles
Elevation Range: 3840′-11138′
Gear: helmet, ice ax, crampons, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
A Majestic Climb: Little Tahoma Peak
After being on my list for some time, this memorable peak finally became a reality for me today. I made sure to exercise the dogs the day before, so that I could go on my climb. However, the uncertain weather forecast for Memorial Day weekend nearly caused me to postpone the entire trip.
Because most climbers choose to rope up across the vast Fryingpan Glacier, I decided to enlist Anne. Since it was still early in the season, snow conditions were unpredictable and varied somewhat. My main concern was experiencing altitude sickness, which first occurred at Camp Muir at 10000 feet.
![First glimpse of Meany Crest with our destination from the Summerland Trail](https://live.staticflickr.com/8768/18121683526_ead8fd4bdf_k.jpg")
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The Ascent: Summerland Trail to Meany Crest
Just before we arrived at Summerland, we encountered the first patches of pristine snow. We were both glad that the snow was not slushy, and my crampons worked perfectly through this section. Soon after, we began our ascent to Meany Crest, which proved to be quite an effective workout.
Past Meany Crest, we put on our snowshoes and continued traversing across the expansive Fryingpan Glacier. We kept our snowshoes on until the top of the steep snow above Whitman Glacier. Eventually, when we reached the dry rocks just below the summit, we were able to stash our gear.
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Breathtaking Views from Little Tahoma Peak
My favorite part of the entire climb was navigating through the rocky sections, which was incredibly fun. After that, the climb to the summit was straightforward, and we were glad that the clouds remained low today. We enjoyed the incredible panoramic views as the main peak looked down in proximity.
On our way back down the mountain, we stopped to check out the “master suite” campsite on Meany Crest. We both agreed that it would have been incredibly amazing to spend the night in that spot. Because, of course, we could then proudly brag about how we had the entire place all to ourselves.
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