RHRoop

The boot track was indeed wide but there was precip, high wind, flat light and alternating whiteout. It took concentration to get down and I was very relieved to get out of the cloud cap. I don't want to offend anyone who posts here but you really shouldn't be attempting a mountain like Adams without the proper equipment- especially late spring or early summer- including proper boots, wind and water proof shells and insulating layers. This is no doubt preaching to the choir but when we thought this guy was dead we were freaked out and humbled. Climbing with your partner (WITH meaning as a team and just not at the same time) and knowing how to use your gear (an ice ax is just weight if you don't carry it properly) cannot be over emphasized.

We were on Adams the day this guy disappeared. We were pretty concerned about him and his partner. It was very cold and windy at the summit and they were not wearing parkas or even much in the way of wind gear. Not to be a gearista but they were not well equipped. They had lightweight hiking boots and universal crampons that did not fit very tightly. The last time we saw the guy who got lost he had left his climbing partner on the last steep slope going up to Piker's Peak. He asked me to take his picture before he started up the pinnacle carrying his ice axe backwards. The pinnacle looked very icy a couple hundred feet up and we decided to turn around when conditions turned to whiteout and sleet started petlting us. On our way down we asked his very exhausted looking partner if he wanted to go down with us. He said no and eventually made it back to the camp site we shared just below the South Butte. We were packing up when he stumbled back into their camp. We hoofed/slogged back to the car and found out he was missing from the ranger when we checked in. I'm glad the guy was found alive. We really figured he was dead as a doornail considering how cold the summit was, how poorly dressed and equipped he was. We assumed they were not well experienced either.

Has anyone driven (or tried driving) to Cold Springs in the past few days? The FS is saying the road will be closed until July -meaning we aren't plowing it and it is considered closed until the snow is gone. Appreciate any info you can provide including what type of car you were in and if it looked passable to a bigger SUV. Thanks! Rob

I had a similar experience climbing in the New River Gorge in WV a few years ago. Is it a coincidence that the best climbing seems to be in the areas with the worst health care? The highlight of my hospital stay in WV (before the 'rents got an ambulance to drive me to a hospital in my hometown in VA) was the neurologist who did reflex tests with his rubber mallet on my fractured left heel and on my right knee above the compund fracture/dislocation of my ankle and tibula. Not to be xenophobic but his ability with the English language also left a lot to be desired. He did understand when I told him to "GET THE F*CK OUT OF MY ROOM". I've been climbing in Mexico a few times in the past couple of years. If you think emergency healthcare in the U.S. leaves a lot to be desired in Mexico it is practially non-existent. On one occasion I saw their SAR guys, at a craig called Los Perros, rappelling on a manila rope that was tied directly to a metolius bolt hanger. They had nifty uniforms! Then when you get to the hospital remember this- more people probably die from diarrhea in Mexico than accidents. There is very little invested in shock and trauma care. Two good friends of mine are doctors from Mexico. They share my fear that the worst thing that could happen to you in Mexico is a bad car or similar accident.

If you go I would appreciate it if you could fill me on access to the start of the route via the forest service road. I'm headed there Memorial Day weekend from out of state and I need to plan our itinerary appropriately.

Has anyone been to Mt. Adams in the last month? If so, what are the roads like? Which route(s) did you climb? What were conditions like?

Thanks all for the beta. I had read over the posts from last year regarding access but the question had not been raised yet this year. This is a great site. I appreciate everyone's time.

We are planning a Memorial Day weekend trip to Mt. Adams. I'm trying to manage risks by getting a variety of opinions on how close we drive to various approaches on the mountain. Our goal is to the climb Adams by the southern route (our primary objective from this trip is Mt. Hood) but the north ridge is an option. Any opinions on what road conditions will be like at the end of May this year? We will be in a four wheel drive. Thanks, Rob