This is basically my first year doing any real climbing, and the route I took on Rainier is hardly technical. The trail was pretty well packed in and little to no crevasse navigation was needed, coupled with awesome weather the climb was as easy as putting one foot in front of other with the exception of one ladder bridge and three areas of rock/ice fall hazards. No matter my dad and I were fully ready for anything and were roped up and had all our protection easily grabable.

To train for this trip we took a week long mountaineering course through Alpine Ascents International. We spent 6 days on a glacier practicing proper snow/ice travel techniques and spent a long time on rope skills and crevasse rescue. The cascades are a hard place to teach avalanche hazards and snow science... or maybe its a really easy place. The major avalanche hazards are cornices and moderate slopes, chutes and whatnot, so the obvious places really to anyone who actually goes on snow at all. Most of the snow here is heavy and consolidates very very quickly, or if gives way pretty fast.

Anyway, have plans to do a lot more technical routes this winter where I'll be facing some actual weather. Need an avalanche transceiver and probe first though.