winter conditions of Olympus

[alipneH]

Good morning,

I have been thinking about doing a winter assent of Mt. Olympus. Has anyone out there done this lately? If so, what where the conditions of the glaciers?... this might be a solo trip.

 

Thanks for your time.

[Norman_Clyde]

There is a previous thread on this subject which you might want to look up. A primary issue is that the usual route to the mountain crosses several big avalanche paths. Getting there would be more than half the fun.

[alipneH]

thanks... found that thread a few hours after I posted the question Still would like to hear about anybodys experiances of a trip like that.

[wayne]

Man you better be psyched for deep sloppy snow

[tshimko]

I went in solo some years ago, around late Feb or early March. Hadn't intended to do Olympus, was interested in seeing what the route looked like from the end of the Bailey range over across the upper Queets basin to the Humes glacier. It was a stretch of cold clear weather, camped on the Hoh glacier the second night, went up to the saddle between the Hoh and the Humes the next day.

 

What an incredible feeling to be in the middle of the Olympics on a clear winter day!! A profound sense of being out there. Went back and packed up camp, and on the way back, traversed past the East Pk, over the Middle Pk and to the base of the summit tower of the main Pk, which I did not climb. Descended to the Blue glacier, actually set up camp there, and then decided to move down to Glacier meadows shelter, as it seemed the weather was going to turn. Sure enough, got up in the night to pee, and there was about 8" of new snow.

 

The glaciers were like sidewalks, hard and no cracks.

 

Tom

[wayne]

Sounds like a great trip mister!