[TR] Mt. Adams - South Climb 7/14/2007

[RaisedByPikas]

Trip: Mt. Adams - South Climb

 

Date: 7/14/2007

 

Trip Report:

This was the first independent mountaineering trip for my wife (then girlfriend) and I. We left Seattle after work, fought through horrible traffic and arrived at the full campground around 9:00 PM. After a few laps we found a parking spot and area for our tent.

 

We got up at sunrise and hit the trail. The snow started around the dry creek bed with the huge cairns. Above this creek bed is the only real route choice. You can either head straight up to the ridge climbers left or traverse up the steep snow towards the right. We chose the latter on the way up and took the ridge on the way down. From here its up the endless snow fields to the lunch counter. There are at least three roll overs to get past and don't be tempted by the first couple of campsites on some rock outcroppings in the snow fields. The lunch counter contains dozens of campsites as you can see in the pictures. I prefer the ones climbers left and down low for the good views. At the lunch counter the wind started blowing huge swarms of butterflies up, thousands of them. This lasted for a few hours and I have never seen anything like this since, it was awesome.

 

The next day we awoke to high clouds which meant the snow didn't firm up. There was a staircase the whole way up to the false summit. There are a few small bivy sites on the long snowfield up to the false summit and another small bivy site a little bit below the summit. We needed to put on crampons right at the top of the snowfield at its steepest point. Some people who regretted not bringing crampons passed us while we did this. The wind started blowing and a lenticular cloud formed right when we reached the summit. Right after we got pictures taken we were in a whiteout that lasted until we get down to the false summit. From here it was time to glissade. After I got feeling back in my ass we packed up and headed down.

 

Swarms of butterflies

Mt Hood and the lunch counter.

St. Helens

The Saturday hordes

Be sure you can find your way down in this.

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, crampons, and SUNSCREEN

Edited March 21, 2011 by RaisedByPikas