Mt. Adams south side road access?

[retired]

Mt. Adams south side road access?-

 

Just wondering how far up the road is drivable, anyone been up recently?

Edited February 3, 2005 by Off_White

[barkernews]

Yoy read my mind... I was wondering the same thing.

I'm willing to bet they're having problems with dust on that road... not snow.

Edited February 3, 2005 by barkernews

[barjor]

I talked to the ranger on Friday and she said that with a 4wd high clearance car you could make it to the camp just before south spur parking (the name eludes me at the moment)

[k44]

road is passable to morrison creek. trout lake rec'd 6+ inches of snow this weekend.

[Zorro]

Anyone have the latest on this now? mileage to summit?

[blue_morph]

Anyone been up there recently? How close can you get to the normal Cold Springs TH?

[k44]

I was wondering the same thing. I couldn't reach anyone at the ranger station but here is the road info from 1/04/05.

 

I know that you could make it a half mile or more past Morrison creek last week. The snowmobilers have been breaking trail up that road.

 

Road 8040 South Climb Gravel - One Lane 01/04/2005: Snow from Morrison up.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/roads.shtml

 

Mt. Adams

Ranger District

2455 Hwy 141

Trout Lake, WA 98650

(509) 395-3400

TTY: (360) 891-5003

[Majiac]

Any new info lately? Looking to climb Adams possible the weekend of the 19-21

[snodger]

Here's some pictures from a site you should bookmark.

 

The trailhead parking lot:

 

and the goods:

 

all from:

"Turns all Year"

[rbw1966]

A 2WD car can easily access Morrison Creek now. A 4WD can take you within about a mile or so of Cold Springs.

 

You'll end up carrying skis pretty much the entire way to the wilderness boundary (unless you enjoy taking them off and on often). Patchy snow from cold springs to the boundary.

 

It was so hot over the weekend that one person who summitted reported that flotation was necessary the entire way unless you wanted to posthole deeply.

 

The turns were sweet but you definteily had to work for them.

[barjor]

How fare up did you go? How many people do you think simmitted? How mamy people did you see on the mountain?

Thanks for the info, I am thinking about getting up there next weekend and had hoped for skipping the snow shoes but it sounds like I should bring them.

[rbw1966]

Leaving behind skis or snowshoes for the upper portion of the mountain would mean some heavy postholing of the temps are anything like they were this weekend.

 

I just went to the lunch counter. There was probably a dozen parties on the mountain Saturday. I don't think many summitted because of the snow conditions.

[barjor]

I was upp there Friday and Saturday and was able to drive all the way to the south spur trail head. Although it was pretty deep tracks and bumpy so you will be better of with a high clerance vehical.

[hacim]

Was that your Tundra at the trailhead? The big pit half way down the road filled with tree branches was where our Pathfinder slipped off the old tracks and burried the axle and frame in the ice.

[barjor]

Yeah that was my Tundra at the trail head. Thanks for making the tracks up to the trail head. I was close to get stuck going downhill, where the tree was blocking half the road. I was spending the night at pretty low alititude and Friday night the weather went sour so I hiked back to the trail head. How was your day on the mountain?

[hacim]

It was nice down low, especially on the ski down. Once we gained the ridge it got windy and icy but we were out of the clouds from 8:30 on. Since snow (ice) conditions seemed to be getting worse the higher we got we turned around at the lunch counter. Turned out to be for the best since we finished chipping ice out from underneath the truck just before dark as it was.

[blue_morph]

That would be the Cold Springs TH? I was thinking of going up there this weekend but after all the snow last week it may make that road harder to drive up. Could you elaborate a little on what condition the road is in between Morrison Creek and Cold Springs? Thanks.

[hacim]

I don't know what came down saturday but there was only 1-2" of new snow on the road from wednesdays storm. We drove over FR23, not bad but some very icy patches on the pavement at the transitions from snow covered to bare. Road to Morrison is easy to drive. From Morrison to Cold Springs TH was rough but not terrible, down to dirt in some spots but there are few places that are drifted several feet deep. With a couple people having driven over the new snow the old track should be easy to see and is good and solid compact ice as long as you don't wander off a foot to the side in the wrong place. We were in a pathfinder with good tires and only had the one problem.

We skinned up the trail from the parking lot but it was thin in quite a few places and is likely melted down to dirt by now.

[barjor]

It was a couple off feet of snow at the most but I was driving on top of it so it was like any road. I think a potential problem might be when the temp gets warmer and the tires starting to break through the ice crust. All and all there was not a lot of snow anywhere. I have a Toyota pickup with mediocre tires and didn't really have any problems more then on one spot but I never got out of the car to do any digging. I did bring chains for worst-case scenario. The snowdrifts make the road bumpy but it is more like sand dunes, soft and flowy. It was actually worst right after Morrison creek and was getting better the closer to south spur I got. I was driving out around midnight on Friday-Saturday and it was starting to snow more and more. And it looks like it will keep on coming. http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/tenday.html?locid=98650

[btowle]

We were up there Sunday and Monday. There is snow starting about a mile from Morrison Creek, but you can still drive there.

 

I don't think anyone will be driving on to Cold Springs until we get some warm weather. Including the people who left the Chevy blazer (small size with Idaho plates) stuck in the road about a mile above Morrison Creek. There was probably 8-10" of new snow at Cold Springs on our way in. It snowed 6" more at Cold Springs while we were in there.

 

It snowed a lot up high. It looked like good skiing when we got there Sunday afternoon, but after high winds all night, it scoured the rocks bare and left 3-6' of drifted snow elsewhere. Without skis, you would sink to your waist in the snow.

 

 

Here is a picture after digging our tent out on Monday morning. We are camped next to South Butte.

 

Edited March 25, 2005 by btowle

[selkirk]

Bump!

 

 

Any more current news on road/snow conditions?

[smithisheaven]

South side access is a big no by vehicle. Went up on fri nite the 1st and tried for the lunch counter on sat. Had to skin up 6 miles of road before the cold springs tr. Passed two vehicles that will be there untill the thaw. Got to the 9000' level just below lunch counter. High winds and snow made us stop there and set up the bibler. Waited till noon on sunday for a break but it never came. Packed up at noon and headed down. Visibility was about 150' and hard to tell where drop offs and ledges were. Fell several times. Once we got a little lower the snow was awesome, about a foot of new over a stable base. Wish I was feeling stronger to enjot it more. My partner Rob was rippin it up. We descended a little to far into the trees and missed cold springs tr but came out on the road before morrison creek. Fun skiing but bad weather and a long skin in. This was my first big mountain ski tour and it was incredible! I love skis, snowshoes suck!

[Big_Mac]

Going up thurday, Friday takeoff camp at the Lunch couter the Sat up and out. any thoughts?

Got pickup with chains (2 sets)

[iluka]

Unfortunately, the Chevy Blazer, often referred to in previous postings has been broken into by some lowlifes. See the attachment for photos). We passed it on our aborted trip last weekend and the back window was smashed. It and the road are also quite deep in snow and it's unlikely it's coming out for a few weeks.

[letsroll]

those idiots. Car abandoned = broken into. I had higher hopes for those who traveled the backcountry. scratch that. Sorry about it. If they every get caught they should lop off a finger as a reminder to respect others property