Water

any that have good weather conditions and reduced avalanche hazard, within your abilities to research approach and route.

better check on being able to get there next weekend... the road is closed until it melts. unless you ski or have sled friends

june 15? very likely not. but you could always just pay to rent them for a few days when you get here, if it has just dumped a number of inches higher up, late season.

can't offer any empirical input on the avy situation. personal opinion with the forecast right now, even if Sunday or Monday were to be bluebird, I'd probably still sit on my hands due to whats been coming all this week and prior. Now if it gets clear and stays clear and sunny for 2-4 days and nwac is showing decreased risk, well, I'd probably be out. Not that such a situation is just an auto-pass from avy danger. As far as the pink line you're referencing. That pink line is only what you'd do if you were going from the hogsback taking the old chute early as opposed to going UP higher on the hogsback and traversing over to the old chute. It is still a south-facing slope and still can have avy risk there. I can't find any photos at the moment but have seen some with slide that has a crown cutting through the pink line on the old chute slope. These three photos should help. edit: I only photograph, not sure who created the snow wand in the last picture.

it was not a natural trigger: artillery fire from avy control at meadows is responsible, i thought. "It was determined that the avalanche was triggered during our Artillery mission on the morning of the 10th just after 6:00 am." as per the meadows blog. total novice with avy analyzing, I'm wondering if at any point, does snowpack mass above weak layer help to consolidate/compress it/bond the layers better? just wondering if it plays a role. My gut tells me just as having a weak layer 6 inches down is going to respond diff. to environ than a weak layer 60 inches down, not sure if it is temperature alone? thanks

bad weather. big avy on SE face. see link posted a few hours ago.

talk to mnt soles in portland http://www.mtnsoles.com/tents

pcg: how are you getting a picture of the south slope's incline with mt hood behind it, since the slope faces south.. This taken from far to the east side towards mazama glacier? having trouble placing it I think the term headwall is not the correct geographical term? maybe just me but compared with the term headwall used on many a volcano that term would never come to mind for southside route of adams. As far as adams slope being something you have to self arrest on in firm conditions -- the same could be said any moderate snow slope of any size with a bad runout? slope + firm conditions generally warrant self arrest no matter the mountain, nothing unique to features on adams. larger size available in gallery. image 3 is just before pikers, so, the 'steepest' part of the south climb. at least in june conditions of 2010.

like others have said, unfortunately you cannot specifically train for any activity without doing it, by and large. I ran into this before I joined my fiance who was doing a thru-hike. that said, for indoors, stair mills or treadmills on maximum incline work for me. outdoors, you're well within a 5 hour drive for opportunity to hit some incredibly beautiful country in the spring (March/April/May). bucolic valley, climb to a ridge to some views and breezes, few miles of minor ups and down on the ridge, back down to another bucolic valley. repeat repeat repeat. This is actually where I joined her and I can assure you, following the trail, you can get in multiple 2000ft~ climbs in a day. the section just north of pearisburg goes WEST-EAST, mostly perpendicular to the ridges. http://www.fivemillionsteps.com/trailmap.php

4hr~

the pink line would be if you drop down off the west side of the hogsback about where you hit it when you're coming up, and go between two fumeroles...and up and over some sloppy mud/rock/snow.. (partially visible in the left side of the pic with the pink line). -- from there you just go up and join the mazama chute. If doing south-side I personally favor this, as oft the cliffs are liable to shed chunks of rime when temps get closer to the freezing point, I see less safety value in traversing below them. That said, I suppose a point could be made that ascending up to near their level on the hogsback is safer than being in the line of the mazama/old chute for the longer duration if you're cutting over from the base of the hogsback (going between the fumeroles--pink line basically). Maybe if a monster group was coming down and showering the old chute, I'd opt for traversing under so I'm not below that group when they're raining junk. if it is a good summit day, you'll likely see a path both ways. the end is no more steep i'd say than what you see in pics. maybe for 20 ft but there isn't any 'step' going the old chute way. additionally the summit ridge traverse is fine except for one spicy point that is narrow--people definitely slow down there/crawl if needed/etc. there shouldn't be any doubt, but if there is, you definitely want to be wearing a helmet Click on teh phuzzy's name and click to send a PM or write your email as such: myemail AT site DOT com or something to that end.

South Sister (road access) and St. Helens (permits) are both viable, though I'd say both are easier than the south side of adams (all else being equal). If you can access it (questionable when they open the rd-generally around memorial day) south sister is neat due to the close viewing proximity of middle & north, broken top, and bachelor. additionally you could go up to Mt. Rainier and do a day-hike up to Camp Muir -- not getting 'to the top' of anything but quite beautiful and impressive size of rainier compared to hood and even adams, weather permitting.

a graphic overview that may help to get some of the names i mention. graphic of hood's south side ignore the blue ski line. i mention zigzag canyon, and as you see on that image above, mississippi head, as the fall line from below crater rock heads that way and leads to trouble in white out. there are a few reports in the oregon forum that have detailed the snowpack. basically it got walloped in the last few weeks. it is settling a bit and more snow is on the way this week. the hogsback shifts over the years. the most straight forward way up lately has been going to the mazama chute/old chute..you would go west from the hogsback, either by traversing under cliffs it's top (turn before bergschrund) or descending across, above fumerole just north of crater rock, and going over steamy/melted muddy rock a bit and then going straight up the chute joining where you would if you had traversed over to it below the cliffs. if you want simple as possible, skip anything to do with the gates and go this way. picture of general route Green – Hogsback Teal – Bergshund Yellow – Left pearly gate Blue – Right pearly gate Red – Old chute / Mazama chute another image by going to google and typing 'south side mt hood' and 'south side route mt hood' etc and then clicking the 'images' button you should be able to get all the images you need. you dont need to worry about crevasses really up to crater rock, then, generally not, in my opinion, though that assumes you have researched and stay on route.

what questions exactly do you have? weather and snow conditions are your main variable if you can find a time when they coincide best, that is great, depending on your schedule in seaside. It is about 3 hr drive more or less you stay on 26 from seaside all the way to timberline lodge, more or less (turn and go 6 miles off 26 up to timberline lodge). Your vehicle needs to have a snopark pass to park at timberline (can get at gas stations, outdoors stores) Many people stash their skis/board at various places along the southside way up, depending on their skill level and conditions, starting right above the top of the palmer lift, to the hogs back, etc. read trip reports here and elsewhere about the south-side route which is the 'standard' route if you're unaware of hogsback/palmer snowfield/zigzag canyon/crater rock

can be a bit of a racket. for clarification if you have WA plates and buy a snopark permit in OR, it ain't valid in WA. If you have OR plates and buy a snopark permit in OR, it is valid in WA (and elsewhere). If you have OR plates and buy snopark pass in WA, it is valid in OR, but costs a lot more in WA. That is my understanding, if anyone has additional clarification or correction please share.

will vouch for nicole. sent her a jacket i got from steepandcheap last year, she sent me a check in the mail. no funny biz

to revive a thread, WHERE is Mr. Mountain Dew today..?

bumpity bump bump. price drop, $135

iclimb, on reflection I'd like to apologize if I sounded like an ass. not my intention. If you want to climb Mt. Adams because you want to climb Mt. Adams, there is no need to be attacked for that/defend that, especially since you sound like you have the experience to do it successfully. it is incredibly beautiful and will be a very different environmental experience than going up washington. When you do consider something additional out here, there is the living, breathing, flaming, (and helpful) body of information available on the forums. matt

I am not trying to flame, I promise. You asked for "anything else" and "lots of good information". Maybe give us a little more than the arbitrary number of a mountain's height (as evidenced at 6300 mt wash can pack it's own punch) What are you trying to learn out here? How you respond to altitude? If you have the fortitude to do 6000ft~ of vertical in 1 or 2 days? How it is to start at the end of a forest service road instead of crawford or pinkham notch? What a glacier looks like from a distance? I realize you have set yourself for Adams 'for the purpose of this climb' and that is well and all, but you've said you can learn anything you need to learn (well I guess not in-situ glacier work, but you're not doing that here anyways) in your backyard and you want to be confident in your skills and abilities. Are you not now? What is the purpose of this climb? What are you coming out here to learn? And probably in 2012 which means you'll be practicing more in the Whites/Katahdin for the next year+. So ultimately it is to see what it is like to be on a volcano? On a mountain that doesn't have huts, observatory, and a road etc up and around it? To test your meddle with altitude? Thats my final bit, same as rob. Promise not trying to attack, trying to see clarity in what you want to get out of it. Being safe is plenty smart. Nobody is suggesting a mountain or route where you cross a glacier solo. If you're planning this far out and planning on keeping up with the pursuit in the whites, you may want to have a backup plan in the wings. Does the Boott Spur plus a few miles and a few thousand feet under sunny skies what you want? A late June or early July day on Adams will likely feel quite tame compared to your recent forays in the presidentials.

you get a sub-par quality 'bluebag' when you get your permit at the ranger station. Comes with kitty litter in a paper bag even. Personally think the bluebags on rainier are much better. Bring an extra grocery store produce bag or two to double wrap. Doing it in a day is quite reasonable if the road is drivable to its terminus, though snow conditions could make it a long day. Taking any of the emotion out of the back-and-forth with Rob, Adams has more glacier area and volume than Hood. Hood's south-side route (While a bit of a mill) and Cooper spur (June a bit late for my personal tastes on that) both offer a proverbial-glacier free (arguable around hogsback) route up a mountain that would likely provide more challenge than Adams while sticking within your abilities. For reference I am originally from Michigan and the Whites were my first introduction to actually going up any mountains of decent size. Adams is truly beautiful and would be enjoyable, but in regards to your skills, would offer little apart from practice. Skill wise, chance are it would be a bit boring. My acrophobic fiance has made it up with hiking poles and microspikes. Yes, you will likely notice you get winded easier from pikers peak to the summit, but you're not coming out here to determine if you'll get slammed by AMS symptoms in the 3-5 hours you're above 10k, right? Don't get me wrong, the climb will be beautiful, you can probably use your ice ax and crampons if you go for the alpine start from lunch counter, and if you wait until things soften up around early afternoon you'll get a bitchin glissade for 2000ft (bring some tear-up pants/cheapo rain pants for that). I took what rob said as a constructive challenge as from the skills you presented it sounds like your capabilities and motivational desire place you beyond the southside climb there. Take it as you'd like.

I have seen almost entirely climber/hiker related rockfall between lunch counter and pikers peak ONLY late season when there is a mix of snow patches and rock. And at that it was minimal. The likelihood of getting hit in the torso or extremities from this seemed much, much, higher than a head hit where a helmet would protect.

the deal is, any shithole in the state of washington is still within a few hours of some of the best spots anywhere in the lower 48, thus making it leaps and bounds better than about every single spot in the state of Ohio.

im on this cusp as well.. but i do love me some photography so i am erring towards some form of DSLR. That said if I had to just buy a camera for climbing alone, I'd get panasonic ts3 based on the robustness and small size

yes, i remember as a kid when those signs went up. i lived in point place neighborhood northeast of summit street and shoreland avenue. I also remember the summer of 1994 when Perstorp was unloading their formeldahyde into the river because it was cheaper than paying for disposal. waking up in the middle of a humid night to the horrid stench of a dying river that turned completely anaerobic [die fish, die]. I'd like to think these types of environ horror as a child steeled my appreciation for less tainted areas.