Images provided by: Caitlin Habenicht, Rhyan McLaury, and Alex Wilson
Written by: Caitlin Habenicht
Edited by: Ben Bertsch
10/14: Towers Installed
With 32 successful tower picks under our belt, the REX towers are officially installed and standing tall. Alongside the crossarms and sheave assemblies, the Crystal Mountain crew and Leitner-Poma team crushed it to reach this major milestone in the Rainier Express build.
Mother Nature was on our side. Under bluebird skies and with 5–10 inches of fresh snow blanketing the mountain, the crew couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The day was as memorable as it was productive.
A huge shoutout to our pilot from Timberline Helicopters, Adam, whose precision and skill in the air were nothing short of phenomenal. While we’ve flown with “The Lorax” in the past, today “Thing 2” took to the skies and delivered a hats-off performance for the final fly day of the 2025 Rainier Express build.
09/10: Top Terminal in Place!
The top terminal for Rainier Express is officially in place and looks quite sharp in its classic Forest Service green. Installing this beast of a terminal was no small job. In fact, it’s one of the heaviest pieces of equipment Crystal Mountain has ever hauled to the summit.
With the top terminal now secured, the focus has shifted to the bottom terminal and the completion of the remaining build. Stay tuned for the next phase, which includes tower installations, followed by haul rope, chair, and electrical installations.
08/20: Making Way for the Towers!
We had a gloomy day on the mountain, with the wind whipping, which was surely a challenge. The weather on the previous fly days was phenomenal, but, as we all know, mountain weather is unpredictable. Thank you to our friends at Timberline Helicopters and Leitner-Poma for another smooth day of pouring concrete. We’re now ready to make way for the towers!
At the summit, the crew stands ready for the first bucket to touch down.
Shot by: Caitlin Habenicht
07/17: The First Round of Concrete Has Flown In!
Thank you to the Crystal Mountain Trail Crew, Leitner-Poma, and Timberline Helicopters. In an estimated 100 picks, the crews moved over 480,000 pounds of concrete. Nearly all forms have their concrete in place, and our teams are readying the site to fly in the steel! Stay tuned.
- Rotor wash isn’t for the faint of heart. From high on Exterminator, the helicopter lifted materials into place, showcasing the grit behind the build.
Shot by: Caitlin Habenicht
06/28: Forms Are Moving Right Along!
The Leitner-Poma team has finished the formwork for the base terminal, and mixing + pouring concrete is slated to start within the next few weeks. A spider excavator is headed down the face for the next handful of days; progress will be shared soon!
Shot by: Rhyan McLaury
06/17: First Fly Day in the Books!
Thanks to the collaboration between Crystal Mountain and Leitner-Poma, all Rainier Express towers, crossarms, and sheave assemblies were removed in under three hours.
Our crews were boots on the ground starting at 6:00 a.m. and finished ahead of schedule. A huge shoutout to our pilot, Adam, who moved smoothly through the air.
Thirty-one picks and nearly 100,000 pounds later, REX is officially retired.
Formwork is now underway, and concrete pours are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, folks.
