Mt Adams, WA via South side

[Linda Jagger]

Hello, I will be coming out from Denver to WA, to climb Mt Adams, via the easiest, south spur route, next wk. Has anyone climbed it recently that can give me a report on snow conditions? I assume there is no snow below the lunch counter--is that correct?? Can one camp on the dirt at lunch counter? Is there water there or do you have to melt snow??

 

Coming down, can one glissade down the "luge shute", or is it mostly melted out?? I hear its pretty hard packed early in the morning going up, is that right?? We plan to bring ice ax and crampons. Is plastic boots the best option??

 

I know to pick up a permit at Trout Lake, I know the road is washed out on FS 23/90. We plan to take 25-90 to 23 from Randle. How long a drive is it from Seattle??--Im thinking 6hr??

 

I also heard there is major construction on I5 going ??south??, there's only 1 lane open for traffic--does anyone know where that is. We will be driving down and hiking to Lunch counter on Fri 8/31, climbing sat 9/1 and hiking out that day.

 

Thanks for any info you can give me

[DPS]

>Can one camp on the dirt at lunch counter?

Yes.

>Is there water there or do you have to melt snow??

Probably have to melt snow

>Is plastic boots the best option??

I would go with leathers

>How long a drive is it from Seattle??--Im thinking 6hr??

About 6 hours.

>I also heard there is major construction on I5 going ??south??, >there's only 1 lane open for traffic--does anyone know where >that is.

It is in downtown Seattle.

 

 

[rangerBeezer]

Hello! Just got back from Adams via the south side... The trail is mostly snow free to the lunch counter. There's a few little patches to the counter. I'd highly recommend taking crampons since the snow is pretty icy right now (though, you can do the climb without crampons if you start late and the weather is warm, as a few members of the group I was with did). Almost all the campsites at the lunch counter are on rock, only a few have patchy snow from last week. We did encounter running water so we just filtered that and used it. There is a few places you can melt snow too, but I'd look around for running water.

 

The glissade path is pretty icy but still there. I'd be careful as several of the chutes end on rock -- keep your speed down and you'll be fine. It was hardpacked ice/snow in the morning, so use crampons if you have them. I used leather boots, but I did see some people using plastic boots.

 

25-90-23 should be fine. We actually took I-5 to 14 to 141 to try something different. We stopped by Logs resturant at BZ Corner on the way out -- its definitely worth it, especially if you catch the live entertainment

 

Good luck and have fun!