[Nancyann]

With the Sultan Shindig looming and and gloomy weather predicted, it was time to bail out of the convergence zone. My Southsound hiking pal had suggested Mt. Adams might have better weather, and indeed, the forecast for Thursday through Sunday looked promising. Hiking Partner and I got a relatively early start Thursday morning and promptly got stuck in rush hour traffic on 405. Eventually, we worked our way south to Randle, in the clouds the entire way, and up a long gravel road to the Killian Creek Trailhead on the NW side of Mt. Adams. Where the sun came out! Our destination for the first night of our four day trip was High Camp, which climbers use as a jumping off point to climb that side of the mountain. I received a tip from fourteen410 that a lake above the camp appeared to be thawing out, so we planned on dayhiking up there on Friday. This is a mellow trail through pretty meadows filled with wildflowers, which eventually intersects with the PCT before it heads straight up to the High Camp at about 5 miles.

Killen Creek Trail to Mt.Adams High Camp 7/11/19

Killen Creek Trail to Mt.Adams High Camp 7/11/19

Mt. Adams came into view as we came to a high bench, making all our efforts worthwhile.

Killen Creek Trail to Mt.Adams High Camp 7/11/19

Killen Creek Trail to Mt.Adams High Camp 7/11/19

Killen Creek Trail to Mt.Adams High Camp 7/11/19

No one else was around when we arrived, and we quickly set up the tent and put on more layers of clothes, because at 7,000ft, it was windy and freezing cold! But no bugs! That was to come later... The next morning dawned sunny and windless. That’s when we got to meet the resident mosquito population, which was apparently immune to DEET. That’s ok though, because we were able to ditch them when we began climbing up the snowfield to Lake 7505.

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

At the top of the snowfield, it was a short but challenging (for me anyway) scramble over lava to the pretty lake, which was partially thawed out.

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

The temperature was very pleasant and still no bugs, so we sat there for a long time. We watched with interest a herd of ten mountain goats and three babies crossing a glacier.

Mt.Adams High Camp to Lake 7505 7/12/19

About 15 minutes later something that looked like a bear crossed solo behind the goat herd, not sure what it was and didn’t get a picture. We pondered that for a while, and then headed back down to camp. Lots of wildflowers were growing on the rocky soil in the camping area.

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

By afternoon, several other groups of people arrived, mostly from the Portland area, and we had a nice visit with most of them, except for a girl with a dog that looked part Visla. It had no collar on and was running through our campsites barking and growling at people. However, when the wilderness rangers showed up she decided to put a collar on it. That evening, despite the overly friendly mosquitoes, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset and moonrise.

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

Mt. Adams High Camp 7/12/19

The little white dots on the left side of Mt. Adams are mountain goats. The next morning we broke camp and headed back down to the PCT, where we turned north. This is a nice section of trail, relatively level, with good views of Mt. Adams along the way and lots of paintbrush.

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Just past Killen Creek Meadows, we picked up the Highline Trail, which goes over to the N.E. flank of Mt. Adams up to Devils Garden in the lava fields. We stopped for a break at Foggy Flats to view the wildflowers in the restored meadow, which is closed to horse camping and most humans as well.

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

So far we had seen only a handful of people all day, even though it was Saturday. A couple rode by on their horses, and they were the last people we saw for the rest of the day, until we set up camp. At this point, the trail entered into the lava fields, which afforded a spectacular view of Mt. Adams, but the wind was blowing ferociously and it was bitter cold. We found an excellent campsite, well protected by trees, and then dayhiked up to Lava Creek, which was running high and fast. A group of Portlandia millennials we had met earlier were camped up by the creek, freezing their *sses off, but still having a good time.

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

The variety of flowers and the hardy bristlecone pines growing in the stark landscape were simply amazing.

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

Mt. Adams Highline Trail 7/13-7/14/19

The next morning we hiked out in warm, sunny weather, vowing to come back to the lava fields some day for further exploration. To top off the day, we stopped for lunch at the Mt. Adams Cafe in Randle for a fine lunch, complete with homemade blackberry pie.

[Brushbuffalo]

Yet another one of your very fine trip reports, Nancy.

[Nancyann]

Thank you, Brushbuffalo! I can’t imagine running around that mountain in one day, must have been a memorable experience on a lot of different levels!

[Brushbuffalo]

Thank you. The one- day tour is becoming a classic. It is indeed hard, especially due to the trail- less section. I wonder if the critter you saw following the goats was a wolverine. It is a real longshot, but those wily ones are not unprecedented on Adams.. Note the story linked by member Anne Elk recently.

[Michael Lewis]

lovely

[Nancyann]

Wow, brushbuffalo, that actually sent chills down my spine when I saw Anne Elk’s video link! As you know, we were up on the NW side of the mountain at 7500 feet. When I first saw the animal, it was galloping across the glacier like a bear and I said to Hiking Partner, “That looks like a bear, but what would it be doing following the goats, maybe it is a wolverine?” There were three small baby goats in the herd that would make a nice meal. Then I thought that I would never be lucky enough to see a wolverine, so decided for some odd reason, there must be a bear up on the glacier.

[runup]

Outstanding trip report! Your reference to Killen Creek reminded me of the of the intensive search several years ago for the overdue, snowbound PCT hiker who eventually self-rescued by exiting down the Killen Creek drainage, IIRC. Such a different landscape at that time of year than what is depicted in your excellent photos.

[Nancyann]

Glad you enjoyed the pictures, runup. The Killian Creek drainage is a long way from civilization, I wonder where they finally picked him up?

[runup]

She (Alejandra Wilson aka Rocket Llama) apparently followed the Killen Creek drainage to NF-2329 (October 2013).