10 days in the Northwest

[razcob]

I will be flying into Seattle on Sept 3 and renting a car. I am from Virginia and regularly backpack the Appalachian Mountains, however, this will be my first trip to the Cascades. I plan on camping every night and have all the camping gear, but have no helmet, axe, crampons, etc. I have no set itinerary, and plan on making it to Yellowstone and Glacier N.P. after I climb a mountain or two. I have studied and practiced the alpine methods of roping and rescue from the book "Mountaineering - Freedom in the Hills, 7th edition", and feel comfortable with the information. I would like some local information:

 

What mountains would you recommend that I climb solo? Mt. Adams, Rainier, Hood, St.Helens, Shasta?

 

Recommend a fair priced, large inventory, outdoor/climbing shop in the Seattle area?

 

What things should I not miss while in the Northwest? Space Needle? Fish Market?

 

Your thoughts.

Edited August 15, 2008 by razcob

[Bug]

Do not solo Rainier. You will die.

S ridge of Mt. Adams, Hood, St.Helens, Shasta, maybe.

But you seem way overconfident to me. Climbing those mountains will humble you. Start with the s ridge of Adams or something on St Helens.

 

[Bogen]

DNFTT

[jordansahls]

Maybe go for Sahale, or Dragontail, or Argonaut, or Maude or Black Peak. All of those mountains will give you amazing views and amazing scenery without the chance of you falling in a crevasse. Seriously, you don't have to do the volcanoes to see the Cascades.

 

Also, if your not completely set on climbing, maybe go for a stroll on the Pacific Crest Trail. In my opinion, hiking the PCT is one of the best ways to see the Cascades.

[pc313]

NEXT ADVENTURE PORTLAND,OR.,CRAIGSLIST-SPORTS AD,S FOR GEAR!

HOOD ,ST. HELENS, AND ADAMS!! YOU CAN RENT BOOTS' ICE AXE,

AND CRAMPONS FROM REI AND NEXT ADVENTURE.ONLY NEED THEM FOR

HOOD!!!

[pc313]

YOU MITE LIKE CASTLE LAKE WEST SIDE OF ST.HELENS ,5 MILE HIKE

DOWN SPUD MT. TO THE BASE OF BLOW DOWN MT.2,200FEET DOWN,AND

2,200 UP. GREAT VEIW OF ST. HELENS!!

Edited August 15, 2008 by pc313

[razcob]

I appreciate all the advice. I am going to research Mt. Adams and St. Helens and consider Mt. Shasta, although, I heard Shasta's non-technical routes are in poor condition. (http://www.shastaavalanche.org/reports.htm)

 

"Do not solo Rainier. You will die." No death wish here, good advice

[DPS]

Buy an ice axe and crampons and figger out how to use them. FOTH has directions. Then climb these:

 

Dragontail via Asgard Pass

Colchuck via Colchuck Glacier

Mt Stuart via Cascadian Couloir

Sahale via Sahale Arm

Mt Ruth via Ruth Glacier

 

Seattle has several good outdoor stores in the 'Outdoor Store District': REI, Feathered Friends, and Outdoor and More.

[Macaroon]

If you are in reasonable shape, St. Helens is certainly obtainable.

 

You may wish to consider a climb in the Olympics. Mt Ellinor is not terribly scary, but quite rewarding. Mt Washington is a nice climb, and a bit more adventurous.

 

 

[tvashtarkatena]

If you're planning on doing an extended backcountry trip, you might consider the Pasayten, Chelan Sawtooth, or Glacier Peak Wilderness areas. There are topo maps available for each. These large areas offer an extensive trail system, many of the highest peaks in Washington, lots of non glaciated and varied terrain tailor made for soloing, and the kind of remoteness you won't find anywhere near the peaks you've mentioned. For example, St. Helens, while a great experience, is a crowd scene and is at least 4 hours of driving from any other alpine climbing area. It depends on what kind of experience you're looking for, of course. Finally, if you only have 10 days, it would probably be better to stick with one state at least.

 

In addition, the Pasayten, Chelan Sawtooth, and eastern part of the Glacier Peak areas are east of the Cascade crest, and so have a better chance of clear weather in Sept. If the forecast isn't great, one of our volcanoes is the last place you'll want to be.

 

Some trip ideas in these areas:

 

Pasayten: Carru Osceola Blackcap Monument peak area. Lots of solo peaks in a tight grouping.

 

Chelan Sawtooth: Oval Courtney Star peak area.

 

Glacier Peak: Just about anywhere.

Edited August 21, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[Mon_Col]

For what it's worth, you're correct that Shasta's routes are in very poor condition this year with nearly no snow and lots of rockfall.

 

That said, people are heading toward Clear Creek for a non-technical (but still very physically challenging) climb. There is no snow on this route aside from the summit plataeu and you will only need some hiking poles (no axe, rope, crampons) and a strong tolerance to hours and hours of miserable scree hiking. Be VERY careful on the descent not to head into the Mud Creek drainage, which for some reason seems to attract climbers on the descent.

 

I agree with some of the others above though that climbing the Cascade volcanoes right now may not be the best use of your time out in the PNW and maybe some of the other suggestions would make a more enjoyable and memorable (in a good way) trip