First I have to thank Marmot, Pika, and Trailblazing Todd for allowing me to join them for our summit attempt to Mount Adams, without them this trip wouldn’t have happened. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
After months of planning and training we finally set out to go conquer Mount Adams. For me, my personal high had happened just days earlier when I went up Little Annapurna (8440’) in the Enchantments. On July 8 my trip to conquer a new mountain began. Pika, Trailblazing Todd, and Martin picked me up and we headed down to Mount Adams. Before going to the Ranger station we stopped at Solstice Pizza in Bingen. What a perfect way to set off for the mountain!
We dropped our names off and begin going up the road to the South Spur TH. The road is in perfect condition. At the TH we were greeted by a packed TH. There was still snow near the end of the road and lots of patches of it everywhere. There to greet us was 4 other members of our party. We set up camp for the night and next day in the morning the other four members of our group took off for the Lunch Counter, I don’t think they even had breakfast!
We left a little later and with no rush started our trek to the Lunch counter. The weather was warm and most of the Cold Springs trail (5600’) was dry. About ¾ of a mile in the snow begins to get more consistent till it becomes feet deep. With Martin’s GPS we followed the trail as we started our slow ascent. Now for you guys looking to get water on the trail because you don’t want to carry all that water- there isn’t any! There is one spot where you can get water from a pool, otherwise carry water with you because you will go thirsty! The mountain is so porous it sucks up the water. You will not find water till the Lunch Counter at around 9250’. I found out the hard way.
Todd, Shirley, Martin, and I at the South Spur TH
Our first view of Mount Adams
Shirley and Todd going up the trail
After taking a break and getting water, we put on our crampons. The snow was getting too slippery and we needed more traction. We followed the trail markers till we got to right below the bowl of the Crescent Glacier around 7600’. Here we had to make a choice, go to the right or go to the left of the glacier. There were boot prints going in both directions. I suggested we go to the left towards South Butte since it looked less steep. Martin having been there before suggested we go to the right and go up a near vertical wall to go around the glacier and he said it was less steep. Here Jeff’s training when we went up to Mount Defiance kicked in and with my experience in the Enchantments I wasn’t even scared anymore. I just told myself to control those “feelings” and go for it. After Martin went up I went up and then Pika and Todd. We then continued our steep, but gentle slope (if that makes any sense) to the Lunch Counter.
First View of Mount Saint Helens from the trail
Todd going up the snow wall to go around the Crescent Glacier
First view of Mount Adams' Pikers Peak
Slowly Pikers Peak (the false summit) came into view. There was lava flows everywhere. After about 5 hours of hiking in the heat we finally reach the Lunch Counter area. Now we started looking for our rendezvous point, but then we heard our names called out from way below where we were supposed to meet. We weren’t sure if they were just saying “hi” or they had camped there. We made our ways over and greeted each other then started looking for camping spots. Surprisingly there are good spots everywhere that are snow free. As I tried to set up camp I got hit with a very nasty nausea and I felt tired. I’m pretty sure I was dehydrated but also aware it could be altitude sickness. If this persisted well, there went my summit attempt. After drinking water and eating slowly the nauseousness went away. What a relief! We ate dinner together and then the final 3 from our group showed up via the “torture route”. Torture Route because the route to the right of the Crescent Glacier adjacent to South Butte is non-stop steepness, but this is the route the majority of the climber are going up.
As the sun went down the winds pick-up a bit, but it wasn’t bad and the snow froze to ice. Overall the night was in the lower 40’s but the wind made it feel much colder.
In the morning once again the other half of our group left early to go summit Mount Adams. I hadn’t even crawled out of my sleeping bag yet! The morning was beautiful and clear with a few low clouds of fog below. By 7:30 we were on our way up to Pikers Peak. The line up to the summit looked like a line to get on a ride on Disneyland.
Mount Saint Helens at Dawn
Morning from the Lunch Counter
Climbers going up to Pikers Peak
We got to the “end” of the line and up we started. As we went up since we were going slower, we allowed a group to go ahead of us as common courtesy. Marmot and Pika needed a break and martin led them to a lava outcrop for a break while Todd and I continued going up since we already had set a pace plus the walk over to the “rest stop” looked sketchy. Since Todd and I were going at a good pace the people in front would let us pass till we got to the group we had earlier let passed. They were going so slow, we would have to stop and wait for them to start up again on their “mini-breaks”. After about 15 mins of stopping and waiting for them the lady in front of us turned around and said “If you want to go past us you guys will have to pass us to our left or right because we aren’t moving aside”. I was ready to plop her on her head for her rudeness and the lack of common courtesy. About 15 mins later of this slow and painful climb someone in the group said “Everyone, move over to the left and let people pass because we are going to slow”. Todd and I took off and as I was going passed them one of them said “I barely broken a sweat”, I almost responded back angrily but decided to just concentrate on the climb.
Being that the snow was as hard as ice, people going down glissading where crashing and tumbling having to use their ice axes for self arrest. We saw one guy tumble about 300’ down till he finally was able to stop himself. All because people wanted to go really fast instead of controlling themselves down the glissade chutes. If they would have waited an hour later they would have had soft snow to go down as fast as they wanted.
Within 10 or 15 mins Todd and I finally reached Pikers Peak, we took a break and then waited for the other 4 to catch up. It was cold up there and then I realized that oops, I had forgotten my gloves! Oh well, I just took pictures and put my hands in my pocket till our fellow group members arrived an hour later. Once we all got up there, the other half of our group was coming down and we took a group picture at the false summit. Then two Rangers showed up, but never asked for our climbing passes. They just got to Pikers Peak, put on their skies and off to the Lunch Counter they went.
Park Ranger approaching Pikers Peak. Never checked for permits, got to the top and skied back down.
Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, and Three Finger Jack(?)
Mount Saint Helens, Pikers Peak, and the summit of Mount Adams
Lunch Counter from Pikers Peak
First view of the summit
Martin getting closer to Pikers Peak
Martin at Pikers Peak
There is Shirley
There is Ray!
Feet away from Pikers Peek!
At Piker Peak (False Summit) (Back) Me, Dick, Todd, Shirley, Ray
(Front) Mark, Janet, Julie, Darlene, Martin
(MIA) Bill
Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson from Pikers Peak
Your thighs burn and your knees want you to stop at a masseuse. You ask yourself why are you doing this and then you see the summit and you forget all about it.
We went down in the dip and then back up for the final climb.
The Last Stretch to the Summit
Mount Saint Helens from Pikers Peak
As I went up all I could tell myself is I’m almost there and I just pictured what the summit would look like. As we got closer the people on top looked bigger till finally we got to the top… almost. The real summit is on the opposite side of the long flat top from the old lookout cabin (which was under snow). Martin with the GPS took us to the small bump and Hallelujah! I had reached the summit! I freaking did it!!!! Thin air, altitude jumpiness, beats me; I was laughing and jumping like a rabbit around summit. I had broken my previous record by a landslide and I had done something I thought I would never be able to do after all those freaking surgeries. I don’t know how to describe that feeling, but I sure came a long way from my first summit 2 years ago up to Teanaway Butte.
Ray, Todd, Shirley, Martin, Julie, and I on the Summit of Mount Adams
Martin on the summit (Thank you!)
Todd and I trying to do our best EastKing Pose
Todd on the summit
Ray, Shirley, and Todd on the summit (Thank you!)
Julie on the summit
On the summit of Mount Adams (12,276')!!!
Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and the Three Sisters from the summit
360 Panorama from the summit of Mount Adams- 12,276'
After taking in the fresh sulfur smell at the summit, it was time to come down and then glissade down. What a rush! We basically glissade all the way to camp! That is almost 3000’ plus! What a ride!
It took us 5 hours to get up and less than an hour to get down. Can’t wait to go glissading again!
Who glassades first off the summit - You go first! No You go first!
Ray and Todd looking for a spot to glassade off the summit.
I know, I sound like a dork on the video, but what do you expect?
Went back to camp and enjoyed the views and had dinner. Then Mount Saint Helens put a little show for us by having a steam eruption twice.
Mount Saint Helens releasing steam
Mount Saint Helens releasing steam
Mount Saint Helens releasing steam
Mount Saint Helens releasing steam
Mount Saint Helens releasing steam
The clouds rolled in below the summit of Saint Helens and never reached us. As we recovered the Lunch Counter sure got busy, droves of climbers started showing up which made for a noisy night.
Martin resting after our successful summit
A 360 Pano from camp at the Lunch Counter
Mount Adams Shadow at sunset from the Lunch Counter
Sunset from the Lunch Counter with Mount Adams and Mount Saint Helens in the background
At night the view of the stars was unbelievable with Venus shining brightly. The glow from Portland and the hundreds of blinking lights from the wind farm out in the Oregon desert were a sight to see.
Mount Saint Helens, Venus, and camp at twilight at 10 at night
Next morning we woke up and by 7:30 and we were on our way down via the torture route which for us was easy because it was downhill. I finally caved in to those frozen glissade chutes and I went for them!
Mount Saint Helens from the Lunch Counter on our decent
Mount Saint Helens from the Lunch Counter
Black Butte and Mount Hood on the decent from the Lunch Counter camp
Black Butte
Mount Adams from South Butte
Mount Hood on the way home
We got to camp and the snow that was there on Thursday was all gone with cars park all the way in up to the TH.
I look back and I remember how freaked out I was at Three Fingers and how Yana helped me out with the whole exposure issue. Then to Jeff who unfortunately was not able to join us and showed me how to jump around in the snow and overcome that phobia of sliding down to my death. Then there were Jim Dockery’s words he left on my Three Fingers TR- “I used to tell students in rock climbing courses that if you don't have a fear of heights you're an idiot (it is dangerous up there). Cimbing is all about raising your skills and knowledge to mitigate the danger, then telling your mind you have it under control (the hardest part)”
I told myself that going up Aasgard Pass to keep myself cool and going up Mount Adams, I didn’t get vertigo once, never panicked if I slipped, I was so calm I had to pinch myself to make sure it was me going up that mountain. The climb up Mount Adams isn’t horribly steep, but just half a year ago I would have panicked. Yeah, I still have that fear of heights, but these experiences have helped me control it and I can’t wait to do more challenging stuff.
Then to Martin- Thank you for that great sense of humor; that with your patience and experience made that trip so enjoyable.
This is the most satisfying trip I have done; I don’t think Mount Rainier will come close to matching the satisfaction from this trip. What an awesome experience!
Marmot and Pika, thank you again!
Excellent trip report - great photos and I am glad it sounds like you've got the vertigo under control. sometimes I get queasy just looking at TRs from three fingers so I can empathize with you there! (maybe I should try to do three fingers this year....)
Wow, what a zoo up there!
Adams is a great summit but there are other routes on the mountain that avoid the south side freak show, especially given the three days you had to climb the peak. The north ridge is a reasonable climb and easily doable within a similar time frame.
Congratulations on the climb!
CONGRATS!! I was thinking about you guys this wknd. & hoping that all was going well. Glad to see everyone made it & had a good time. You & I now share the highest point summited.
Home is where the hiking is.
"Peaks that have come and gone four times should halt a man in his steps." -- William O. Douglas
A balanced diet is a margarita in each hand.
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Home is where the hiking is.
"Peaks that have come and gone four times should halt a man in his steps." -- William O. Douglas
A balanced diet is a margarita in each hand.
Great trip report Tony! And you're welcome. It was great to have you along!
For me, this was a great first backpacking trip of the year! The weather and views were phenomenal!
After we started on snow, we followed the footsteps until we noticed we were not on the trail anymore. (Later we found out that the "trail" was not recommended. Maybe because of the "Snow Wall" that had "avalanche warning" in my mind) So, we got back on the trail following some wooden posts up to the base of Cresent Glacier. We then climbed up the "Snow Wall" (on the left) and then up the ridge to Lunch Counter.
South Climb 183 before
Up we go
Walking up Crescent Glacier ridge
South Butte from Crescent Glacier ridge
Camp view looking north
St. Helens Sunset 1
On day two, we hike mostly snow stairs all the way up to the summit. (about 4100 to Pikers Peak and 1800 to the summit if anyone was counting...)
With a faint smell of sulfur, 45 degrees with a slight wind, and some fantastic views, I (and we) made it to the top of my first volcano!
Camp view looking south
Climbing Pikers Peak 1
Oregon Mts. and Trout Lake valley
Mt. St. Helens
Mt. Rainier and Goat Rocks
St. Helens Sunset 2
After hanging out for a long time, the glissades going down were awesome! Then on the day we hiked down, Tony did some more glissading. After we packed up, we went to the Solstice Wood Fire Cafe again for some real good pizza!
Congrats, Tony! It's indeed a cool spot on the earth to hang for a bit. Good job getting up and down safely, and nice reflection on the head space of steep snow travel, especially for those of us who are still gaining experience with it. As fun as the glissade sounds, I have to admit that you'll never find me up there w/o my skis, though. It's even more fun!!
Damn - I was hoping that your fine pizza joint would be on the northern route (via Randle). I may have to try the southern route again next time just to give that pizza a try - looks like they make a pretty good pie from the photos on their web site.
Tony, thank you for making our climb so much fun! We thoroughly enjoyed hiking with you! I still can't look at the mountain and fully believe I'm a person who could do that climb and be on top. Me?? And thanks for taking such beautiful pictures.
Here's a pic of the "torture route" as you say. I didn't think it was all that bad. What I hated was the hot, hot beginning of the trail where the temp was near 90.
The steep ascent to base camp, with Mt Adams' summit in background
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Went back to camp and enjoyed the views and had dinner. Then Mount Saint Helens put a little show for us by having a steam eruption twice.
sometimes I get queasy just looking at TRs from three fingers so I can empathize with you there! (maybe I should try to do three fingers this year....)
I was thinking about you guys this wknd. & hoping that all was going well. Glad to see everyone made it & had a good time. You & I now share the highest point summited. 
Rick
With a faint smell of sulfur, 45 degrees with a slight wind, and some fantastic views, I (and we) made it to the top of my first volcano! 
