Hood - Adams - Camp Muir on Rainier in 5 Days?

[theoak]

I am planning a week-long trip to Oregon / Washington sometime in June or July, and I was hoping to do the following:

 

Day 1: Arrive, stay at a hotel in Portland.

Day 2: Pick up any climbing gear/food. Drive to MT Hood.

Day 3: Meet a guide from Timberline Guides at $475 a day. Climb the Southern Route / Pearly Gates (I didn't want to try Hood solo). Is Timberline a good guide service? Are there any good campsites or hotels near Hood?

Day 4: Recover / drive to MT Adams.

Day 5: Start at 5am and climb the South Spur on MT Adams solo. Are there any good campsites or hotels near Adams?

Day 6: Recover / drive to Paradise at MT Rainier.

Day 7: Start at 5am and climb to Camp Muir on Rainier. Return to hotel in Portland. Is that realistic to drive back to Portland after climbing to Camp Muir and back in a day? Can I climb to Muir without a permit? I plan on coming back next year and climbing the Kautz Route with a group, but I just wanted to get on the mountain while I'm out there this year.

Day 8: Fly out.

 

Does that sound like a realistic trip? Any advice or recommendations?

 

 

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I am planning a week-long trip to Oregon / Washington sometime in June or July, and I was hoping to do the following:

 

Day 1: Arrive, stay at a hotel in Portland.

Day 2: Pick up any climbing gear/food. Drive to MT Hood.

Day 3: Meet a guide from Timberline Guides at $475 a day. Climb the Southern Route / Pearly Gates (I didn't want to try Hood solo). Is Timberline a good guide service? Are there any good campsites or hotels near Hood?

Day 4: Recover / drive to MT Adams.

Day 5: Start at 5am and climb the South Spur on MT Adams solo. Are there any good campsites or hotels near Adams?

Day 6: Recover / drive to Paradise at MT Rainier.

Day 7: Start at 5am and climb to Camp Muir on Rainier. Return to hotel in Portland. Is that realistic to drive back to Portland after climbing to Camp Muir and back in a day? Can I climb to Muir without a permit? I plan on coming back next year and climbing the Kautz Route with a group, but I just wanted to get on the mountain while I'm out there this year.

Day 8: Fly out.

 

Does that sound like a realistic trip? Any advice or recommendations?

 

 

 

Camp Muir - depends on your fitness. Let' be conservative and say you are kind of slow - 5 hours up, 1 hour enjoying views and 3 hours down. That's 9 hours, you start at 5 am and you are down by 2 - so yes, you could easily drive to Portland.

[pcg]

Are there any good campsites or hotels near Hood

Treat yourself to dinner and a night at Timberline Lodge.

 

Are there any good campsites or hotels near Adams

Rough it and stay at Cold Springs campground the night before. Don't forget to go by the ranger station in Trout Lake and buy a permit before you climb Mt. Adams. You can pick them up at an unattended box after hours - $15 if I recall correctly.

 

Can I climb to Muir without a permit?

Yes.

 

I hope the weather cooperates. You will sleep well on Day 9 if it does.

Edited May 10, 2011 by pcg

[patrickcraft]

Did almost same thing a few years back.

Day #1 flew in that night and drove to Timberline (late)

Day#2 Ascend Palmer with Timberline Mt Guides and camped at ~8k edge Palmer snowfield.

#3 summit and back down and overnight at lodge with friend from Seattle

#4 Drive to Trout Lake and get permit. Hike in and camp in Crescent Glacier.

#5 summit,return to car and drive to Couger. Stay in cabin.

#6 10 mile dayhike Windy Ridge at MSH.

#7 climb MSH and drive to PDX

#8 fly home

 

Great trip. Timberline good. I have used twice as I have ZERO friends who do this sort of thing and my family would rather have me than my life insurance pay off. Had outstanding weather. Was a bit tired (I was 40 then). Weather will be the wild card.

[Water]

sounds feasible since you actually have some recover/drive days.

alternative to staying at timberline (1$$-3$$) is to stay at the mazamas lodge in government camp ($25), just bring ear plugs--its group style lodging, but you're within 15 minutes of timberline from there.

 

What is your number one priority--top of hood or action on all peaks or what? Talk with Timberline Mnt Guides to see if they are doing any guiding into July..and how far. The further into July the more guaranteed weather you'll have, but hood will likely be going out of favor. On the other side too early in June and the rd to Cold Springs (mt adams) wont be melted out fully, adding 2-6+ miles to the trip.

 

Camp at Cold Springs at base of Mt. Adams..fine campsites right at TH. Depending on snow and such, I may start a lot earlier for Adams. I hate to say it as well, but, you may want to consider renting snowshoes for it--I have had some posthole hell on there even with snowshoes on.. in late afternoon of midsummer sun. Consider bumping the leave-time up earlier, maybe you get a nice clear nice and good freeze and can go much faster along a good crust for many hours and onto the way back down before it starts to mush up.

 

Also investigate the drive from Mt. Adams to Paradise. Google maps will show you FS-23 takes you directly north, however, that road often takes a while to melt out and all those roads tend to get maintenance issues pretty regularly. There is potential for longer drive--contact Gifford Pinchot FS before you leave to find out rd conditions.

 

 

[ScaredSilly]

I would suggest that you skip staying in Portland your first night, bring all the food and gear you need for Hood, and drive to either Gov. Camp or Timberline for the night and start getting some acclimation. That will give you an extra day. You can stop in the town of Hood River for more food which is on the way to Adams.

 

As for Hood, many, many people climb the south side unroped. With the Old Chute there is not a problem with bergshrund which is what causes problems for the Hogsback. If fact for that time of year, if a weekend, and good weather there will be hords of people in various stages bumbling their way up the hill.

 

I would probably skip the slog to Muir. It really is not all that great. I would suggest something like running up MSH (if you can get a !@#$% permit). That will save you a bit of driving.

[theoak]

Is anything in Portland worth seeing? I was going to spend the morning on day 2 in Portland before heading out to Hood. Perhaps I will head straight to the Timberline Lodge instead.

 

Is it safe to climb the south side of Hood solo? I thought the Hogsback was popular, and I was going to hire a guide because I have read about accidents/deaths on that route. I'm with patrickcraft: I don't have friends that do any mountaineering, and a mountain is not worth risking my life, especially having a 3 year old daughter.

 

I have done two 8 day mountaineering courses in Alaska with AAI, as well as ice climbing and winter hiking/mountaineering in NH and the Adirondacks. I'm not looking to do anything technically challenging this year, I just want to climb 3 easier routes, yet still have a mountaineering experience.

 

I was going to ask if hiking up to Muir was worthwhile. Is Mount Saint Helens a better non-technical climb? Are MSH permits that hard to get?

 

I wanted to at least see Rainier this year, and I'm considering coming back next year to do the Kautz Route with AAI. Are there any other worthwhile mountains that I can climb solo in a day?

 

Also: Should I hold off until July for better weather?

[Water]

If you like visiting towns, see Portland. I live here and as an outdoors person can't necessarily suggest any reason why someone should spend more time here than driving through the gorge or elsewhere to take in the sights.

 

July will have better weather, that is statistically supported.

Speak with TMG about hood climbs in July. I have my doubts.

 

There is no objective measure of what is safe for a single individual. You can read reports of deaths on the southside of Mt. Adams--does that mean it is not safe? Are you thus risking your life to be on it?

 

The 'risk' part of hood is a 4-500~ foot slope on the southside which you must go up and go down, avoiding other climbers and natural and kicked rime and rock, depending on how warm it is/gets and how melted it is/gets.

 

 

For hiking going to muir on a nice day can be beautiful. You will get a sense of the mountain and how much bigger than Hood it is. I think there are merits to seeing the mountain up close in person, knowing where you'll start, etc, if you're planning a trip down the road.

 

Getting the permits to MSH is a pain in the ass and a racket. You can always skip the permit--they don't have someone standing there checking tags and stamping hands at the TH. Play out-of-town dumb if the 1 or 2 rangers that work that role actually came across you and asked for it. MSH is not technical, less so than Adams even, it is both shorter and less steep.

 

South Sister would be accessible by then, a 5000ft elevation gain up a fairly trodden trail along the side of the mountain, which gives great views of the central oregon cascades. No worries of technical ability. Mountaineering experience, depends on your definition. It is a good scramble in the summer, though I'm not sure you need to ever use your hands maybe more than one or two times.

[theoak]

For hiking going to muir on a nice day can be beautiful. You will get a sense of the mountain and how much bigger than Hood it is. I think there are merits to seeing the mountain up close in person, knowing where you'll start, etc, if you're planning a trip down the road.

 

That was my reason for including a hike to Muir...I wanted to get a sense of the mountain before a come back next year.

 

Should I consider doing the southside of Hood solo? I don't want to pay $475 for a guide if it's not necessary.

 

What I meant by "mountaineering experience" was that I wanted to do some snow climbs rather than hiking through scree fields.

[ScaredSilly]

If you have done the courses you list above that is more than most who try and climb Hood. Most accidents unrelated to weather on the south side are due to a fall - typically rope teams that can not self arrest and ultimately fall into the bergshrund. That can often be avoided - especially as most are using the old chute. Those related to weather are more problematic - if the weather looks like crap do not try and climb.

[YocumRidge]

Is anything in Portland worth seeing?

 

Really depends on what you are into besides climbing.

 

Pearl District, Nob Hill, Forest park, OHSU skyline bridge and tram down to waterfront - to name a few. Or like Water suggested, take a 30 min drive to the gorge to see waterfalls (which never freeze in winter ).

[Crickette]

A few links if you don't already have them

 

Mt Adams

Climbing Conditions

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/mta-climbing-report.shtml

 

Mt St. Helens

Climbing Conditions

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/msh-climbing-report.shtml

 

Here is the MSH Permit calendar.

https://secure.kinsail.com/calendar.asp?p=mshi&pt=parks&ItemID=494604&GroupID=18101

Lone Fir Resort in Cougar WA might have last minute Mt.St.Helens permits as well.

http://www.lonefirresort.com/

 

Mt.Rainier

If you end up with more than 1 day at Rainier, you could also consider climbing/hiking around the Tatoosh Range.

Unicorn Peak has great views though you'd skip the last pitch if alone.

 

 

[theoak]

I'm probably going to do the southside of Hood solo. If I feel I'm over my head, or if the weather turns bad, I'll turn back at the Hogsback. I'm more worried about other people falling into me (if it's crowded) then I am about falling myself.

 

I'm also thinking of doing the trip in reverse order: Muir on Rainier first, then Adams, then Hood. That way I have time to get acclimated before Hood (I'm assuming the hike to Muir + MT Adams are easier) and I don't have a long drive back to Portland on the last day.

 

Does my choice of mountains seem good (if you had to choose 3 solo snow climbs in OR/WA with the best views)?

[Flatlandclimber]

theoak - please let me know how it went if you did go - this is the plan i have for myself and 2 other climbers next june-ish.

 

I also have taken courses and done winter hiking/climbing in the White Mountains

[iceaxe23]

when I was young and in my 20's my buddies and I did Rainier, adams, hood, and shasta in 5 days. Now I climb one and I want rest and jack N the box! I'm in my mid 30's and hope to become a hardman maybe in my 40's....but so far I'm not

 

either way I hope you have a fun 5 days!!! remember just being in the mountains is fun!!

Edited August 15, 2011 by iceaxe23

[Seamstress]

I'm surprised no one told him about the extra mileage he would need to do early in the year on Adams. Hope he wasn't counting on driving up to Cold Springs!