Adams climb Jan 19-21st

[Kevin_Runolfson]

Planning on doing the south spur of Mt Adams Jan 19-21st. If interested, give me a shout. Right now I have a couple of tenatives, would like to find a few more you would like to climb.

[Maurice]

How are you planning to get to the "trailhead"?

I guess the road must be snowed which makes two days seem kind of short.

[Norman_Clyde]

Ah yes, very good point. A rather significant omission. Looks like a maximum addition of 15 or 16 miles! I have not been there in the winter, and have no idea if the approach off hwy 141 is plowed at all.

[Norman_Clyde]

I'm not free Jan 19-20 but am free the following weekend (Jan 26-27) if a change is required. Right now I'm working on putting together a climb of Mt Constance for the last January weekend (see Olympic Peninsula "winter climbing" posts). I'll keep track of posts in case your dates change. I have been up Adams from the North but not the south. A ski or snowboard descent would be nice (no crevasse concerns as long as you stay on the south side).

[bonehead]

A few winters ago (actually it was June 1st !) a buddy and I went up the south side. It was another year of exceptionally heavy snow, and even on June 1st, the closest we could get to Climber's Bivouac was about six miles away. We skied up until the real vertical began, and climbed from there.

Suckers we - we didn't pack crampons that day, and had to turn back about 500' below the summit due to high winds and hard glass snow.

Skiing 12 miles round trip plus the climb made for a real long day, but it's doable.

Have fun!

[Norman_Clyde]

Glad to get the beta from someone who has been there in heavy snow. Constance is still #1 goal for Jan. 26/27, but if snow has been heavy in the week prior, Adams might be safer. The angle of approach from the South looks low enough in photos that avalanche danger should be manageable unless conditions are very bad: steeper than Muir snowfield, but mainly 30 degrees or so. Any other opinions?

[Colin]

I've attempted Adams in winter, and we never got above treeline. The road is not plowed the slightest, so hopefully you have a snowmobile. We started from the Bird Creek Meadows Snow Park instead, since the road is plowed to there.

[Kevin_Runolfson]

If anyone is interested, send me an email at kevin@tcd.org. I'll give you the details. You are right, looks like a 15 mile approach, the climb, then 15 out. Three days to do it in. It is possible. Hard, but possible.

Kevin

[Walter_Burt]

The access to the south side is definitely not plowed in the winter. A snowmobile or a really long slog is required. Skis are recommended if you slog. Most of the vertical gain on the approach to treeline is in the last 3 or so miles before Cold Springs. The main reason the approach drive doesn't melt out until late is that it's on heavily forested steep slope.

The South side is relatively safe r.e. avalanche danger as it is low angle and tends to get blasted by the winds coming in from the southwest, though the SE Couloirs can get loaded by the easterlies when there is a high east of the mtns. Good luck and have fun.

[b-rock]

Check out the north cleaver for better winter access (and turns). You should be able to park off of state 23 and make a couple mile slog up a forest road (snowmobile winter rec) before heading for treeline. Skis and a rope? I've had luck getting towed by random snowmobilers...

[Maurice]

I see from the GPNF website that there is a snopark called Smith Butte at the end of 82 before it turns into 8290. It looks to me like it would be approximately 9 miles away as the crow flies from the mountain. Anyone familiar with this snopark?

[Ed_Hobbick]

I'd be intersted. I've been up there in the Summer-are you planning a ski decent?

[Colin]

Maurice,

I've been to the Smith Butte snow park many times for cross-country skiing with the family. It is the same one that I referred to as "Bird Creek Meadows Snow Park." If you insist on heading in to the South side in winter, I think that Smith Butte is the obvious starting place.