Pruneboy

Oh yeah...........the traverse back to Cold Springs from the Southwest Chute. You are not alone in turning it into a cluster! The bottom line is that descending to 6000-6100 feet and finding the Around the Mountain trail is the easiest. If you are too high, the ridges you have to cross are bigger. If you are too low, then you're in the trees and there are lots of boulders, rocks, logs and bush wacking. Of course, finding the AMT is the key. I've made the same mistake of trying to traverse out high and I've also dropped too low. The last half dozen times I've found the AMT and it certainly makes it easier. The conditions on Adams have been great this year! It's one of the best runs there is! Good times!

The Cold Springs Trailhead was punched through on June 18th, I parked 200 yards below the main parking and watched as a large FWD mashed the last snow drift blocking the road. Getting accurate information regarding the status of the road has always been difficult at Adams. If people hear that you can only drive to Morrison Creek, a lot probably stay home. Is the Forest Service intentionally conservative? Do skiers keep mum to prevent larger crowds? The Forest Service certainly doesn't give accurate info. On June 17th I called the Trout Lake office and they said snow blocked the road a mile and a half prior to Cold Springs. The snow on the South climb is past it's prime for skiing, but would still be OK. The snow in the SW Chute is a lot smoother, however rockfall is now a potential hazard. Good times!