| Mt Adams |
Date - 9/27/2008
Length - 12 miles
Elevation Gain - 7,000 feet
Route - South Ridge
Location - North of Trout Lake, Washington
Length - 12 miles
Elevation Gain - 7,000 feet
Route - South Ridge
Location - North of Trout Lake, Washington
A massive winter snow pack produced one of the best spring
paddling seasons that I have ever experienced. In Eugene, we
were running some of the local creeks into the first week of July
and some of the sprig fed runs farter north ran throughout the
summer. As the season finally wound down I promised myself I
would get into the mountains more this summer and fall. By
September with the exception of a few forays into the Cascades
with my parents when they were out visiting from
Massachusetts, I had not spent any time in the hills. A solid
forecast for a late September weekend came our way and I
knew I wanted to get a climb in before the winter snows.
Mt Adams, the second tallest mountain in Washington and the
third highest of the Cascades, was on my list. Despite knowing
that this volcano is a much more enjoyable trip when it can be
skied in the spring, I wanted to get up there to scout things out.
Unfortunately, Michelle was unable to go because of schoolwork
and a bad back. I thought I would be out of luck, but my friend
Cate, living in Corvallis had the weekend free and was game for
a hike.
paddling seasons that I have ever experienced. In Eugene, we
were running some of the local creeks into the first week of July
and some of the sprig fed runs farter north ran throughout the
summer. As the season finally wound down I promised myself I
would get into the mountains more this summer and fall. By
September with the exception of a few forays into the Cascades
with my parents when they were out visiting from
Massachusetts, I had not spent any time in the hills. A solid
forecast for a late September weekend came our way and I
knew I wanted to get a climb in before the winter snows.
Mt Adams, the second tallest mountain in Washington and the
third highest of the Cascades, was on my list. Despite knowing
that this volcano is a much more enjoyable trip when it can be
skied in the spring, I wanted to get up there to scout things out.
Unfortunately, Michelle was unable to go because of schoolwork
and a bad back. I thought I would be out of luck, but my friend
Cate, living in Corvallis had the weekend free and was game for
a hike.
Many groups make the climb up Adams over the course of two days, but we
wanted to get back by Saturday night, so we left Friday night and planned for a
pre dawn alpine start. We made the drive up to Hood River after dark and gorged
ourselves on pizza at a local pub before winding our way to the trailhead for the
standard South Climb route on the flank of massive Mt Adams. The trailhead is
located at the end of dirt road at an elevation over 5,500 feet. When we pulled
into the parking lot around 10:30 it was already quite cool outside and a clear sky
promised to let the temperature drop even lower. We set our alarms for 5:00 am
and headed to sleep.
A few vehicles pulled in over the course of the evening but no one was
particularly noisy. Still, it felt like 5:00 rolled around pretty early. By the time I put
in my contacts and crawled out of the back of my truck, Cate was out of her
sleeping bag and just about ready to get moving. We loaded up our packs and
managed to get underway a little before 5:30 which put us right on schedule. With
any luck we would have clear skies and agreeable whether. We were carrying
crampons, but hoped they would not be necessary for the climb.
The climb starts out on an old wagon road that switchbacks up the lower forested
slopes of Adams. The trail is smooth and the grade is easy which made it very
easy to find the way with our headlamps on this moonless morning. Despite the
cool temperatures we were walking fast enough that in a few minutes extra layers
were removed and packed away. This wide path takes hikers up through the
6,000 foot level and eventually peters out at treeline where there is a large cairn
and some signs marking a camp. By this time the first hints of dawn were lighting
the sky to the east although we had to keep our headlamps on in order to see.
The route from here to an area above Crescent Glacier is well marked, at first
with cairns and wooden posts, and then by a well worn foot track. We snaked
around a bit as the path worked its way into a small glacier cirque at the foot of
the Crescent Glacier. The headwall was quite steep and the path slabbed up to
the left accordingly and ran along the western edge of the ravine. We were now
leaving behind the last vestiges of scrub trees and it was light enough to turn off
our headlamps. Soon we found ourselves breaking out onto the Crescent Glacier
and working our way up towards a flat area known as the Lunch Counter, the
traditional staging area for most two day climbs of Adams. It was just about 7:00
am and as the sun began to rise over the desert plains of eastern Washington
and Oregon we had our first unrestricted views.
We already had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding landscape as we were
already well above any of the surrounding peaks. To the south Mt Hood stood out
like snowcapped rocket shooting up from the surrounding landscape. Beyond it
Mt Jefferson and even the Three Sisters stood out on the horizon. Mist filled
valleys lay in the foreground and to the west Mt St Helens jutted above its
foothills, but already looked small. We were already higher than the summit of St
Helens and we had not even yet reached the base of the main cone. As the sun
continued to rise we could see the shadow of Adams stretching out across the
land below, something only seen when high on big isolated peaks.
wanted to get back by Saturday night, so we left Friday night and planned for a
pre dawn alpine start. We made the drive up to Hood River after dark and gorged
ourselves on pizza at a local pub before winding our way to the trailhead for the
standard South Climb route on the flank of massive Mt Adams. The trailhead is
located at the end of dirt road at an elevation over 5,500 feet. When we pulled
into the parking lot around 10:30 it was already quite cool outside and a clear sky
promised to let the temperature drop even lower. We set our alarms for 5:00 am
and headed to sleep.
A few vehicles pulled in over the course of the evening but no one was
particularly noisy. Still, it felt like 5:00 rolled around pretty early. By the time I put
in my contacts and crawled out of the back of my truck, Cate was out of her
sleeping bag and just about ready to get moving. We loaded up our packs and
managed to get underway a little before 5:30 which put us right on schedule. With
any luck we would have clear skies and agreeable whether. We were carrying
crampons, but hoped they would not be necessary for the climb.
The climb starts out on an old wagon road that switchbacks up the lower forested
slopes of Adams. The trail is smooth and the grade is easy which made it very
easy to find the way with our headlamps on this moonless morning. Despite the
cool temperatures we were walking fast enough that in a few minutes extra layers
were removed and packed away. This wide path takes hikers up through the
6,000 foot level and eventually peters out at treeline where there is a large cairn
and some signs marking a camp. By this time the first hints of dawn were lighting
the sky to the east although we had to keep our headlamps on in order to see.
The route from here to an area above Crescent Glacier is well marked, at first
with cairns and wooden posts, and then by a well worn foot track. We snaked
around a bit as the path worked its way into a small glacier cirque at the foot of
the Crescent Glacier. The headwall was quite steep and the path slabbed up to
the left accordingly and ran along the western edge of the ravine. We were now
leaving behind the last vestiges of scrub trees and it was light enough to turn off
our headlamps. Soon we found ourselves breaking out onto the Crescent Glacier
and working our way up towards a flat area known as the Lunch Counter, the
traditional staging area for most two day climbs of Adams. It was just about 7:00
am and as the sun began to rise over the desert plains of eastern Washington
and Oregon we had our first unrestricted views.
We already had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding landscape as we were
already well above any of the surrounding peaks. To the south Mt Hood stood out
like snowcapped rocket shooting up from the surrounding landscape. Beyond it
Mt Jefferson and even the Three Sisters stood out on the horizon. Mist filled
valleys lay in the foreground and to the west Mt St Helens jutted above its
foothills, but already looked small. We were already higher than the summit of St
Helens and we had not even yet reached the base of the main cone. As the sun
continued to rise we could see the shadow of Adams stretching out across the
land below, something only seen when high on big isolated peaks.
In fact, big and isolated is pretty good description of Mt Adams. Sitting a good bit
farther east than other major peaks in the Cascades, Adams rises to an elevation of
12,281 feet, over ten thousand feet higher than the surrounding valleys. This
massive volcano has a diameter of 18 miles, making for a total area of approximately
250 square miles. The western flanks lie within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
while the eastern sides are part of the Yakima Indian Reservation. Only Mt Shasta is
larger in area than Mt Adams. The peak is heavily glaciated with most of the major
flows originating from the summit’s ice cap. The main cone above 6,000 feet is
basically a pile of super porous volcanic rocks that receive much water from the
glaciers which leads to the emergence of many springs lower on its slopes.
The last major eruptions on Adams happened over 3,500 years ago, but active
fumaroles on the summit still exist. Adams is geologically active and mudflows and
landslides are common. The massive peak is quite interesting with its summit crater
filled in by ice and snow. Our route would avoid the major glaciers on the mountain
by following the South Ridge or Suksdorf Ridge, but we would have to cross the
summit’s ice cap while making our from the false summit to the true summit’s final
cone.
The snow and ice on the Crescent Glacier was quite firm, but the grade was low
enough so we did have to wear crampons. We made great time to Lunch Counter,
the flat area traditionally used as a base camp for climbs. At an elevation of 9,000
feet, we were already higher than most of the other mountains in the Cascades, but
the bulk of our ascent remained ahead. The Lunch Counter is decorated by many
stone walls built up to shelter tents from the predominant west winds that can slam
this area. We passed a few tents here, but did not see anyone stirring. We stopped
here only long enough to have a drink and scout out our route up the steep and
imposing jumble of loose rock looming above us. It was clear that this route would be
much easier when you can climb on snow from Lunch Counter to the false summit,
but this was not an option for us on this late season climb. We could have patched
together discontinuous snowfields, but the effort would not have been worthwhile as
we would have had to use crampons on the steep snow and remove them to cross
the rocks.
We swung to the west at Lunch Counter and began our climb of the south ridge,
picking our way up an extremely jumbled areas and occasionally following climber
trails. The going was tricky on loose rock and while we moved steadily, it seemed
there must be a better way. Upon reaching a prominent hump in the south ridge we
came to its crest and found a more established climbers trail that avoided the worst
of the loose rock. While we no longer had to deal with bigger rolling rocks, but
instead we were faced with a steep slope of ball bearing like pumice rock between
golf ball and softball size. At times it felt like we were sliding backwards as much as
we were stepping forward. Still, we moved steadily and rested only once on our way
to the top of the south ridge on the shoulder of Piker’s Peak, Mt Adams’s false
summit. All the while the true summit was blocked from our view.
We made our way ever higher, staying to the easy of the ridge to avoid a cold west
breeze. Out of the wind the day was comfortable enough to climb with only a light
jacket on. By 10:00 am or so we found ourselves at the top of the south ridge on the
edge of the summit’s ice cap. An outcrop here sheltered us from the wind, but
several steps to the north put us in a strong icy wind that would require us to layer
up with fleece and hoods for the rest of the climb. From the shoulder of the false
summit we had our first views of the main peak and from here it looked quite
intimidating. The true summit rose steeply for six hundred feet above the saddle
between the false summit and the true peak. One other group of climbers could be
seen making their way towards the peak and their outlines gave us some
perspective and made the ascent look much more reasonable.
farther east than other major peaks in the Cascades, Adams rises to an elevation of
12,281 feet, over ten thousand feet higher than the surrounding valleys. This
massive volcano has a diameter of 18 miles, making for a total area of approximately
250 square miles. The western flanks lie within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
while the eastern sides are part of the Yakima Indian Reservation. Only Mt Shasta is
larger in area than Mt Adams. The peak is heavily glaciated with most of the major
flows originating from the summit’s ice cap. The main cone above 6,000 feet is
basically a pile of super porous volcanic rocks that receive much water from the
glaciers which leads to the emergence of many springs lower on its slopes.
The last major eruptions on Adams happened over 3,500 years ago, but active
fumaroles on the summit still exist. Adams is geologically active and mudflows and
landslides are common. The massive peak is quite interesting with its summit crater
filled in by ice and snow. Our route would avoid the major glaciers on the mountain
by following the South Ridge or Suksdorf Ridge, but we would have to cross the
summit’s ice cap while making our from the false summit to the true summit’s final
cone.
The snow and ice on the Crescent Glacier was quite firm, but the grade was low
enough so we did have to wear crampons. We made great time to Lunch Counter,
the flat area traditionally used as a base camp for climbs. At an elevation of 9,000
feet, we were already higher than most of the other mountains in the Cascades, but
the bulk of our ascent remained ahead. The Lunch Counter is decorated by many
stone walls built up to shelter tents from the predominant west winds that can slam
this area. We passed a few tents here, but did not see anyone stirring. We stopped
here only long enough to have a drink and scout out our route up the steep and
imposing jumble of loose rock looming above us. It was clear that this route would be
much easier when you can climb on snow from Lunch Counter to the false summit,
but this was not an option for us on this late season climb. We could have patched
together discontinuous snowfields, but the effort would not have been worthwhile as
we would have had to use crampons on the steep snow and remove them to cross
the rocks.
We swung to the west at Lunch Counter and began our climb of the south ridge,
picking our way up an extremely jumbled areas and occasionally following climber
trails. The going was tricky on loose rock and while we moved steadily, it seemed
there must be a better way. Upon reaching a prominent hump in the south ridge we
came to its crest and found a more established climbers trail that avoided the worst
of the loose rock. While we no longer had to deal with bigger rolling rocks, but
instead we were faced with a steep slope of ball bearing like pumice rock between
golf ball and softball size. At times it felt like we were sliding backwards as much as
we were stepping forward. Still, we moved steadily and rested only once on our way
to the top of the south ridge on the shoulder of Piker’s Peak, Mt Adams’s false
summit. All the while the true summit was blocked from our view.
We made our way ever higher, staying to the easy of the ridge to avoid a cold west
breeze. Out of the wind the day was comfortable enough to climb with only a light
jacket on. By 10:00 am or so we found ourselves at the top of the south ridge on the
edge of the summit’s ice cap. An outcrop here sheltered us from the wind, but
several steps to the north put us in a strong icy wind that would require us to layer
up with fleece and hoods for the rest of the climb. From the shoulder of the false
summit we had our first views of the main peak and from here it looked quite
intimidating. The true summit rose steeply for six hundred feet above the saddle
between the false summit and the true peak. One other group of climbers could be
seen making their way towards the peak and their outlines gave us some
perspective and made the ascent look much more reasonable.
We set out across the ice cap and found the boot pack useful since the snow and
ice was very firm due to the cold temperatures. The whole time we were crossing the
glacier a steady wind slammed into us from the west and the wind chill forced us to
hide behind our hoods. The saddle we were passing through had the effect of a
wind tunnel and by the time we reached its far side at the top of the Mazama Glacier
we were happy to find reduced winds. From our perch we could see a ways out
across the crevassed Mazama and a steep ice fall coming down its headwall. Now all
we had standing between us and the summit was a 600 foot cap of rock and snow
rising from about 11,600 feet to over 12,200 feet.
Personally, I start to notice the effects of altitude anywhere above 9,000 feet. Living
in Eugene means I essentially spend all of my time at sea level so I am not adapted
at all. On day trios I start to notice labored breathing above 10,000 feet and the
effects were even more pronounced as we headed above 12,000 feet on Mt Adams.
The last push the summit is fairly steep, but I was still breathing much harder than I
should have been. To compensate we slowed down and took our time, knowing that
it was still early and the weather was sure to remain fair.
We passed the group that had summit ahead of us a few hundred feet below the top
and made our way up through some snow to the peak. We were aware that there
was an old structure on the summit, but it was still a surprise to top out and see the
wooden cabin there filled in with snow and ice. Built in the 1920’s as a fire look out it
became quickly apparent that it was not reasonable or useful to maintain and staff a
lookout in such a place. The building was purchased or leased from the Forest
Service in the early 1930’s by a private investor that wanted to mine sulfur from the
summit, but predictably, the venture failed and the structure was left to the elements.
We topped out at 11:30 after six hours of climbing and were greeted by extensive
views and an empty summit. The wind here was quite string as expected and I
bundled up in my down jacket and mittens while enjoying the view. The most striking
view was of Mt Rainier to the north. Glaciers flowed down its steep sides and that
clear day let us see a long ways in all directions. I scrambled up to the top of the old
cabin to reach he true high point on the mountain and found myself surprisingly out
of breath after the effort. Having gained almost 7,000 feet in the last 6 hours and
more than 10,000 feet since last evening meant that we had far exceeded
recommendations for proper acclimatization. While it was unlikely that either of us
would experience any significant effects from the altitude, it was interesting to
experience such a marked effect.
ice was very firm due to the cold temperatures. The whole time we were crossing the
glacier a steady wind slammed into us from the west and the wind chill forced us to
hide behind our hoods. The saddle we were passing through had the effect of a
wind tunnel and by the time we reached its far side at the top of the Mazama Glacier
we were happy to find reduced winds. From our perch we could see a ways out
across the crevassed Mazama and a steep ice fall coming down its headwall. Now all
we had standing between us and the summit was a 600 foot cap of rock and snow
rising from about 11,600 feet to over 12,200 feet.
Personally, I start to notice the effects of altitude anywhere above 9,000 feet. Living
in Eugene means I essentially spend all of my time at sea level so I am not adapted
at all. On day trios I start to notice labored breathing above 10,000 feet and the
effects were even more pronounced as we headed above 12,000 feet on Mt Adams.
The last push the summit is fairly steep, but I was still breathing much harder than I
should have been. To compensate we slowed down and took our time, knowing that
it was still early and the weather was sure to remain fair.
We passed the group that had summit ahead of us a few hundred feet below the top
and made our way up through some snow to the peak. We were aware that there
was an old structure on the summit, but it was still a surprise to top out and see the
wooden cabin there filled in with snow and ice. Built in the 1920’s as a fire look out it
became quickly apparent that it was not reasonable or useful to maintain and staff a
lookout in such a place. The building was purchased or leased from the Forest
Service in the early 1930’s by a private investor that wanted to mine sulfur from the
summit, but predictably, the venture failed and the structure was left to the elements.
We topped out at 11:30 after six hours of climbing and were greeted by extensive
views and an empty summit. The wind here was quite string as expected and I
bundled up in my down jacket and mittens while enjoying the view. The most striking
view was of Mt Rainier to the north. Glaciers flowed down its steep sides and that
clear day let us see a long ways in all directions. I scrambled up to the top of the old
cabin to reach he true high point on the mountain and found myself surprisingly out
of breath after the effort. Having gained almost 7,000 feet in the last 6 hours and
more than 10,000 feet since last evening meant that we had far exceeded
recommendations for proper acclimatization. While it was unlikely that either of us
would experience any significant effects from the altitude, it was interesting to
experience such a marked effect.
After enjoying the views and the novelty of being on one of the highest points
in the west, we decided to start down just before noon. The descent was
significantly easier and once out of the wind we quickly warmed up. There
were magnificent views as we went down and both of us were surprised when
we reached the ice cap and the saddle in very little time. It was still quite
windy and cold on the exposed ice field and we quickly made the crossing
and ducked down behind the top of the south ridge to escape the elements.
It was now about 12:30 and we were happy to be able to remove some layers
of clothes. By this time other climbers were making their way up the South
Ridge. We moved down as quickly as the terrain would allow until reaching a
spot that was completely protected from the wind. This was our official lunch
stop and it was warm enough that we were able to drop another layer and
relax for ten minutes or so before continuing the descent. During the spring
the descent involves a five to ten minute glissade or ski run, but the hard
patchy snowfields seen today meant we had to pick our way carefully down
the rubble. Luckily most of the way had reasonable footing and we made
good progress. The main exception to this was a steeper section of the
south ridge just above the Crescent Glacier. Here the slope was made of
larger blocks of loose rock and we slowed our pace to a crawl to avoid injury.
It had already been a long day and we did not want to get careless and roll
an ankle or worse.
As Cate and I picked our way down the hillside we noticed a white shape in
between the rocks a few hundred feet below. Cate said she thought it looked
like a Mountain Goat. At first I was skeptical. I knew that these creatures lives
on and around Mt Adams, but I did not think they would be so unwary or up
so high on the mountain. Since the object was directly on our line of travel we
in the west, we decided to start down just before noon. The descent was
significantly easier and once out of the wind we quickly warmed up. There
were magnificent views as we went down and both of us were surprised when
we reached the ice cap and the saddle in very little time. It was still quite
windy and cold on the exposed ice field and we quickly made the crossing
and ducked down behind the top of the south ridge to escape the elements.
It was now about 12:30 and we were happy to be able to remove some layers
of clothes. By this time other climbers were making their way up the South
Ridge. We moved down as quickly as the terrain would allow until reaching a
spot that was completely protected from the wind. This was our official lunch
stop and it was warm enough that we were able to drop another layer and
relax for ten minutes or so before continuing the descent. During the spring
the descent involves a five to ten minute glissade or ski run, but the hard
patchy snowfields seen today meant we had to pick our way carefully down
the rubble. Luckily most of the way had reasonable footing and we made
good progress. The main exception to this was a steeper section of the
south ridge just above the Crescent Glacier. Here the slope was made of
larger blocks of loose rock and we slowed our pace to a crawl to avoid injury.
It had already been a long day and we did not want to get careless and roll
an ankle or worse.
As Cate and I picked our way down the hillside we noticed a white shape in
between the rocks a few hundred feet below. Cate said she thought it looked
like a Mountain Goat. At first I was skeptical. I knew that these creatures lives
on and around Mt Adams, but I did not think they would be so unwary or up
so high on the mountain. Since the object was directly on our line of travel we
moved closer and it became clear that this was indeed a Mountain Goat. I
took out my camera and started taking pictures, assuming that the goat
would soon run away.
We continued to draw closer until we were within twenty yards. Even though
we were this close the large goat did not move. Neither of us was interested
in getting any closer, but we stood in awe for a few minutes before saying
goodbye and moving on down the steep slope. Getting this close to a wild
animal is always a little unnerving, but this felt safe and it was an incredible
experience.
After another ten or fifteen minutes of hiking we had reached the Crescent
Glacier and found hummocky ice with water flowing underfoot in several
places. Although crevasses were not a huge concern on this part of the
glacier, we were aware of the running water beneath us and we kept on eye
on the ice ahead at all times. The Crescent Glacier is at a fairly low
elevation and unfortunately, it is receding at a somewhat remarkably rapid
rate. It is strange knowing that someday within our lives this river of ice may
no longer exist. The large ice cap and many glaciers pouring off of Adams
provide critical melt water and recharge springs via percolation and their
disappearance is a very real concern. As glaciers shrink the amount of
water they are able to return to aquifers each year decreases and many of
the spring fed rivers, such as the renowned White Salmon, may experience
reduced flows as a result.
For the time being the Crescent Glacier remains and the days heat had
softened the snow and ice enough to let us walk quickly downhill without
having to carefully balance from one rock to another. Soon we passed
Lunch Counter and continued down the moderately sloped glacier. It was
now sometime after 2:00 pm and we had dropped low enough so the day
was growing quite warm. Other groups hiking up to Lunch Counter as a day
trip or to set up camp for a next day attempt at the summit were sweating in
shorts and T shirts. The views south down the green valley of the White
Salmon and across the Columbia to Mt Hood remained spectacular as we
continued to head down. Eventually the bottom of the glacier was reached
and we headed back onto the edge of the cirque at the bottom of the
Crescent Glacier.
By the time we dropped down into the trees I had to change into shorts to
avoid overheating. Looking back up at the ice capped summit it was hard to
believe that we were wearing down jackets and mittens only a few hours
ago. Once we reached the end of the old wagon road the rest of the hike
was down the wide trail through a rather dense forest. Often the last few
miles of a long hike are the most difficult and today was no different. The
long walk out on the hard packed trail was torture on our feet and there was
a noticeable lack of conversation as we each dealt with the slog back down
to the trailhead. My back started to hurt and I began to find lots of reasons
to silently complain to myself. Just when the walk out seemed like complete
misery the signpost marking the trailhead came into view and we were done.
took out my camera and started taking pictures, assuming that the goat
would soon run away.
We continued to draw closer until we were within twenty yards. Even though
we were this close the large goat did not move. Neither of us was interested
in getting any closer, but we stood in awe for a few minutes before saying
goodbye and moving on down the steep slope. Getting this close to a wild
animal is always a little unnerving, but this felt safe and it was an incredible
experience.
After another ten or fifteen minutes of hiking we had reached the Crescent
Glacier and found hummocky ice with water flowing underfoot in several
places. Although crevasses were not a huge concern on this part of the
glacier, we were aware of the running water beneath us and we kept on eye
on the ice ahead at all times. The Crescent Glacier is at a fairly low
elevation and unfortunately, it is receding at a somewhat remarkably rapid
rate. It is strange knowing that someday within our lives this river of ice may
no longer exist. The large ice cap and many glaciers pouring off of Adams
provide critical melt water and recharge springs via percolation and their
disappearance is a very real concern. As glaciers shrink the amount of
water they are able to return to aquifers each year decreases and many of
the spring fed rivers, such as the renowned White Salmon, may experience
reduced flows as a result.
For the time being the Crescent Glacier remains and the days heat had
softened the snow and ice enough to let us walk quickly downhill without
having to carefully balance from one rock to another. Soon we passed
Lunch Counter and continued down the moderately sloped glacier. It was
now sometime after 2:00 pm and we had dropped low enough so the day
was growing quite warm. Other groups hiking up to Lunch Counter as a day
trip or to set up camp for a next day attempt at the summit were sweating in
shorts and T shirts. The views south down the green valley of the White
Salmon and across the Columbia to Mt Hood remained spectacular as we
continued to head down. Eventually the bottom of the glacier was reached
and we headed back onto the edge of the cirque at the bottom of the
Crescent Glacier.
By the time we dropped down into the trees I had to change into shorts to
avoid overheating. Looking back up at the ice capped summit it was hard to
believe that we were wearing down jackets and mittens only a few hours
ago. Once we reached the end of the old wagon road the rest of the hike
was down the wide trail through a rather dense forest. Often the last few
miles of a long hike are the most difficult and today was no different. The
long walk out on the hard packed trail was torture on our feet and there was
a noticeable lack of conversation as we each dealt with the slog back down
to the trailhead. My back started to hurt and I began to find lots of reasons
to silently complain to myself. Just when the walk out seemed like complete
misery the signpost marking the trailhead came into view and we were done.
Taking off my boots felt amazing and once I had munched on a Cliff Bar
and opened a fresh bottle of water everything was better and the pain of
the last few miles was forgotten. We were quite proud of our rather quick
round trip time to the summit and back. We had been gone from the truck
for about ten hours and had spent most of that time on the move. This was
a difficult day hike although our plan was much more desirable than taking
two days to do the route. We scouted out some fantastic ski terrain, had
amazing views, and I made it to a higher elevation than I had ever been to.
This was a great climb and we both left excited to return in the spring to
make a ski descent next year or to return for a summit trip via one of the
more complicated and outstanding glacier routes to the summit.
and opened a fresh bottle of water everything was better and the pain of
the last few miles was forgotten. We were quite proud of our rather quick
round trip time to the summit and back. We had been gone from the truck
for about ten hours and had spent most of that time on the move. This was
a difficult day hike although our plan was much more desirable than taking
two days to do the route. We scouted out some fantastic ski terrain, had
amazing views, and I made it to a higher elevation than I had ever been to.
This was a great climb and we both left excited to return in the spring to
make a ski descent next year or to return for a summit trip via one of the
more complicated and outstanding glacier routes to the summit.
Mt Adams as seem from the White Salmon River valley neat Trout Lake. The standard route or South
Ridge Climb is highlighted in yellow in this picture.
Ridge Climb is highlighted in yellow in this picture.
The shadow of Mt Adams can be seen stretching across Mt St Helens which rises
above the mist filled valley as morning dawns on our climb.
above the mist filled valley as morning dawns on our climb.
As we climbed above 8,500 feet on our way to Lunch Counter views of Mt Hood rising
in the distance were spectacular.
in the distance were spectacular.
Even though it was not much past 7:30 am we had moved quickly and found ourselves
in great position to make the summit before noon.
in great position to make the summit before noon.
Reaching the Crescent Glacier let us travel quickly over firm snow and ice all of
the way to Lunch Counter.
the way to Lunch Counter.
The first five hundred to a thousand feet above Lunch Counter are the most
difficult when there is no snow. In general try to stay east of the ridge.
difficult when there is no snow. In general try to stay east of the ridge.
The South Ridge is a long and moderately steep climb up blocky lava rock and
loose rubble when the snow melts out late in the season.
loose rubble when the snow melts out late in the season.
The first real sight of the summit cap comes at the top of the South Ridge high on the
shoulder of Adams's false peak.
shoulder of Adams's false peak.
Mt Adams stands alone and there is no better place to get the sense of this than by
standing on the mountains upper slopes.
standing on the mountains upper slopes.
To reach the final climb to the summit we crossed and ice field that is the
source of the Mazama Glacier which we are looking down here.
source of the Mazama Glacier which we are looking down here.
The six hundred feet or so remaining to the summit follows the ridge behind
me and today it was almost entirely free from snow.
me and today it was almost entirely free from snow.
The ice field we crossed on our way to the top is see below us with Pikers Peak and the
top of the South Ridge visible behind us.
top of the South Ridge visible behind us.
From the summit of Adams a 360 degree view greeted us with Mt Rainier rising high on
the horizon.
the horizon.
The relatively clear weather let us clearly see the numerous glaciers spilling down from
Rainier's massive summit ice cap.
Rainier's massive summit ice cap.
While Adams has a well defined summit, another false peak, The Cleaver, lies a little
over a quarter of a mile to the north.
over a quarter of a mile to the north.
The highest point on Mt Adams is this old structure which is permanently filled with snow
and ice. What it lacks in beauty it makes up for as a wind block.
and ice. What it lacks in beauty it makes up for as a wind block.
The scope of the ice cap can be seen while ascending to the true summit.
The Mazama Glacier spills down and out of sight at the edge of the ice field
between Pikers Peak and the top of Adams.
between Pikers Peak and the top of Adams.
I forgot my favorite hat in the truck but it was cold enough that I had to wear this lame
excuse for a beanie. Rainier looms in the distance.
excuse for a beanie. Rainier looms in the distance.
I couldn't resist climbing on the roof of the summit structure to reach the true high point on
Adams. Mt Hood can be seen in the background.
Adams. Mt Hood can be seen in the background.
Temperatures with wind chill on the summit could not have been much above 20 degrees,
which meant we did not linger for long.
which meant we did not linger for long.
Back down on the Crescent Glacier the warm sun made it feel like a
completely different day.
completely different day.
Seeing a mountain goat on Mt Adams may not be particularly rare, but I have to believe that getting this close to one is unusual.
The sun softened Crescent Glacier made for an easy route of descent once we reached
Lunch Counter.
Lunch Counter.
From treeline My Adams does not look particularly impressive, but the views from its
flanks are quite remarkable.
flanks are quite remarkable.