Mt Adams, Gifford Pinchot National Forest Trip Report
August 1, 2004
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RichC
1 Review(s) to Date
The hike took 2 days which included traveling to Mt Adams from Seattle. There were no direct highways to the mountain so the route was quite round about and used many small roads. This wasn’t a problem but it did take some time to get there. We picked up out climbing permits from the local Ranger Station. Climbing permits were needed to go above 7000 feet.
We were going to climb the south side of the mountain which is a non-technical assent. However crampons and an ice axe are essential as you start to encounter snow very early on. Also some of the route is quite steep. We parked at just beyond Morrison Creek Campground, parking was very limited and it took a while before we found a space. We started hiking up the mountain at about 1pm taking easy; using switch backs up through the trees, there wasn’t any snow at this point. The trail was really well maintained, wide and not very steep at all. It wasn’t long before we reached more alpine terrain which was more exposed and had some snow.
The trail was quite busy and well marked so there wasn’t any question of where to go. After about 2 hours we were on snow continuously and the climb was getting steeper. The switch backs had ended and the path started to go straight up the snow fields. Heading up a gully we got our first taste of how steep the mountain could be, as the trail went up a rather steep slope. Steps had been kicked in to the snow which went up a snow ridge about 150feet high with an angle of about 50-60 degrees. This was a real thigh burner especially with a 50lb pack. By the time I reached the top my legs were like jelly. It turned out that that was the steepest part of the climb. We picked our way up through the rocks and snow fields up to about 8000 feet. We had to stop here because the weather had turned on us.
At the car park a few hours ago it was warm and sunny. Now the wind was about 40mph and snowing hard. Ideally we wanted to camp at the Lunch Counter @ 9000 feet. The campsites are very interesting; there are small horse shoe shaped rock walls about 3 feet high to shelter your tent from the winds. The wind and snow stopped again after a few hours, this is a prime example of why the 10-essentials are… essential. The climb started again at 4am, so that we could make use of the ice. Crampons were essential and made easy work of the icy climb. The trail is pretty much straight up with a constant slope of about 30degrees. Following other peoples kick steps because of the steepness. It levels off again at the Lunch Counter, which is the most popular camping spot. Then another 2000 foot climb to the false summit Pikers Peak @11,700 feet. Piker Peak is a huge rest area, with a lot of hustle and bustle with the other climbers coming and going. It is one of the few flat spots and a great place to fuel up for the last push to the summit. The summit didn’t look too far but was a real long way and took a good hour to get too.
We reached the summit at about 12 o’clock. Oddly enough, the remains of an old cabin from the mining days was still visible and the smell of sulpher was quite strong at times. Coming down was the best fun ever – glissading down thousands of feet at a time! An ice axe is essential for this since the slides are so long. The best slide was non-stop from Pikers Peak all the way down to lunch counter. Due to sliding rather than walking we were able to get back to camp from the summit in about 1 hour. Hiking back down to the car park then took about another 3 hours as we were all very tired. Mt Adams is a great climb, so much so I’ll be going again this year.
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Newb vs. Mountain
Reviewed By: Talon on Monday, July 30, 2007 @ 09:35:35 PM
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Just summitted Mt. Adams this weekend and had a great time.. Definitely recommend this as a two-day hike unless you are really in tip-top shape; even as a two day my legs were starting to get mighty tired by the time we made it back to the car at Cold Springs around 5pm (4 hrs to summit from lunch counter, 1.5 hrs to return, 3.5 hrs down). Admittedly, only taking up a 20 lb. pack containing water and some necessities would be very nice, but I don't think I'd want to miss out on the experience of watching the sun set near St. Helens nor watching the almost full moon light up the snowfields. These experiences and the view from the summit on a sunny day definitely made all of the stair climbing I did before-hand worthwhile.
Other notes: A 50mph wind will make a 50º day near the summit feel much colder! Be prepared.. Along those lines, I'd consider an ice axe and crampons mandatory (they make life much easier). Next up, water is your friend; even though it adds a lot of weight, I talked to a lot of people who had headaches and other "altitude" problems that probably could've been solved if they'd been drinking enough. Finally, even non-athletic wimps like me can make this climb, just make sure to do some endurance and strength training ahead of time. For me, being able to easily lift my 40 lb. pack and bicycle at a good pace for a couple of hours were good enough to get me there. Stair climbing with a full pack = the best way to prepare short of climbing a smaller mountain.
In short, properly gear up and get to it; you won't regret it!
i hate it
Reviewed By: george lighty on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 @ 10:34:46 AM
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i didnt like it and it was very hard
HIgh Reward Climb
Reviewed By: drobertsrn on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 @ 10:03:38 AM
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A lot of folks say this is an easy climb. In terms of something like Rainer, yes, Adams (South Climb) is easy because you don't have to worry about crevasses the whole day. But it definetely is a good work out and gives people a fairly good exposure to the alpine environment. You have to chance to see a little rock fall, play aroound with ice axes, utilize the all important campons, and camp in a snow environment. You also have a chance to decend rapidly via a huge glissade chute - sweet!!! If you're a first time mountaineer then this is a must climb route. Just one note PLEASE, PLEASE Utilize the Blue Bag System if staying at the Lunch Counter!! It's a little embarrassing to have to carry you crap back down the mountain but it beats sleeping on crap and smelling it while camping!!! Do It, it's the right thing to do. BLUE BAGS are available at the ranger station.
Oh, I've done this climb as a one day and a two day. It's pretty strenous as a one day although you don't have to carry as much. The 2 day is nice because you get a sense for real mountaineering.
Mt Adams
Reviewed By: Dr. Crash on Thursday, June 30, 2005 @ 09:32:20 PM
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Review: The South side of Mt Adams is indeed a non-technical route. It is long but easy, and I have done it, round-trip, in a day without any problems. I climbed it without any need for crampons; a walking ax is nice, and helps when glissading down, but trekking poles would work just as well.
The views from the top are gorgeous. One can see Rainier, Mt. St Helens, Mt Hood... If you can't decide whether Mt Baker would be visible or not from there on a clear day, just go hike it ;)
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