quote:
Originally posted by Dan Harris:
How does Adams compare to Mazama? I have gone up Avalanche Gulch on Mount Shasta, Hayden Glacier on Middle Sister, OR and some steep snow fields in the Central Sierras. Nothing very crevassed. Mazama looked like the next step up from these routes.
Dan,
The Adams Glacier route is significantly more difficult than the Mazama. You can easily access the Mazama route by parking at Cold Springs (South Spur-normal route) hiking up about half mile to the RTM trail, turn right(east) then follow this trail into the reservation for about one mile before you leave the trail and angle up and left toward Mazama Glacier Saddle. About 3 hours total. True, you'll be trespassing, but the Yakimas promised to keep this area open to all rec. activities when Nixon expanded the Reservation boundary here in 1973. They have since gone back on this agreement. They don't patrol the backcountry beyond the roads so you'll have no problems. Also, there is a lot of new snow above 5500' that may be temporarily blocking access to Cold Springs trail head.
