Mt. Adams

A week's vacation on a sailboat in Greece was fun, but I was happy to be back in Seattle and more reasonable 70-80 degree weather. Part of the appeal was that early July is typically the best time to climb and ski Mt. Adams; the snow has settled into a corn cycle, it's not sun cupped, and there's usually snow coverage starting close to the Cold Springs campground. My buddies had climbed it already but I wasn't going to let lack of partner stop me. I headed out after work on Friday night, battled typical heinous Seattle traffic and arrived at cold springs at about 11:30.

Climbers are not partiers! There were probably 30 cars and tents spread around the campground but it was dead silent. I pitched my tent as quietly as possible and tried to get some sleep. Awakened at 4:30 to the sound of climbers departing, I finally got up at 5, got organized an on the trail at 6. Within 40 minutes I was able to put my skis and boots on, and decided to head up the right ridge to try and avoid losing vert. The snow field I remember was mostly melted out, so I ended up climbing at leaset 1000' in lava scree, destroying my ski boot soles but avoiding any falls that could have ended my attempt quickly.

Once on the snow ramp at the lunch counter, I put my skis back on and started the grind up to the false summit. The snow was about perfect - soft enough for my skins to grip and firm enough for my crampons to get purchase. I made the false summit at 12, then the real summit at 1. That last section is where skis really give an advantage - there's a half-mile of down and flat before the final summit hill.

On the summit at 1, but really feeling the altitude, which was new for me. I think the three weeks at sea level, with no mountain activity really affected me. I peeled my skins and chattered back to the false summit over the rough ice that covered the summit.

I skied the south climb route, not wanting to deal with the extra hiking required by the fabulous SW Chutes. The snow was perfect, soft corn and smooth all the way from 11,000 to 8,000 before it got too soft. The views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helens and the surrounding Giffort Pinchot forest were spectacular. Back to the car at 3, a cold celebratory beer and I was home to my family by 8:30. Fabulous day!