Mount Adams (WA; 12,276) Via Mazama Glacier Route; Part 1

[giggy]

A couple of years ago, I sat camped at Camp Muir on Rainier and stared at Mt Adams thinking - that would a cool peak to head up. Since then, I was able to get a couple more volcanoes under my belt, some more technical skills, etc... Around last fall, I started asking people I knew could handle a Cascade Volcano to come along. I wanted a good mix of skills to be along in case the poop hit the fan.

At then end of the day, I decided I wanted to climb Mount Adams via the Mazama Route. Nothing against the south climb route, but I didn't want to do a snow slog the entire way and I wanted to further develop my skills in glacier navigation.

For Cascade standards, the Mazama is an "easy" route of a 12,000+ ft volcano (2nd highest in WA after Rainier) with about a 7000 elevation gain from car to summit and about half of that with 50 pound pack. While an "easy" route, it is still a glacier and still climbs up steep slopes of about 35-40 degrees - pretty much sustained for the 3+ miles from high camp to summit.

Participants:

Giggy, Arm,Skimom,Woody and his brother, Jenn, Jeff, Cbcbd, Al, and Double Bow.

Requirements; sense of humor, flexibility, strong hiking ability and willingness to forgoe any winter list bagging to be able to train as a group in the pressies. This was essential to be able to mimic the conditions of a cascade peak as much as possible. I told people right from the beginning, if you’re working a winter list, it can't interfere with any team training - basically if that was your goal, then this trip wasn't for you.

I was the organizer of this trip, but not the leader. There were people along with more climbing and glacier skills than me. That being said, we all had some technical skill and all but one had been on glaciers before. This was an "easy" glacier route - so it fit the bill perfect. I anticipated a couple of natural leaders to emerge and they did - and they did an excellent job of decision making, but at the end of the day, we all decided things together.

The trip started off rather grim with a less than ideal weather forecast which is typical of the Cascades - and then pretty much everyone was delayed getting to Seattle. We had a 3 to 4 hour drive to cascade locks on that night and we didn't get settled in until near midnight - with the time change, most of us were up for 24 hours. It was clear the 8 mile hike to high camp wasn't going to happen - had it been sunny and good weather, maybe we would have. In the meantime, we found out that the Yakima Indian Reservation was going open their road about a week early which would cut our approach to 3.3 miles (down from 8) (we would have to traverse the route from the normal trailhead had we went earlier. As out luck would have it - this coincided with 3 days of decent weather. We decided we would climb Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday being a "rest" day at high camp. Personally I like this approach because you can be fresh for summit day, but also just really soak in being on a beautiful big glaciated peak for an extra day. (looking back on this both, arm,cbcbc and myself were saying we probably underestimated this approach. 8 miles out west is just not the same as 8 miles out east. IMO - its alot tougher. At least on these mountains.

To kill 2 days and acclimatize a bit, we decided to head to mount hood and sleep at 6,000 ft, and make a summit attempt even though we knew weather was going to be - "not ideal". While all of this was going on - the north cascades were stormy, and we pretty much knew Mount Baker was going to be a long shot prior to the upcoming weekend. Mount Hood is another trip report and I turned back (with most others) near 10K due to whiteout - 3 others did summit and they can tell their story.

Because of this delay due to weather - Skimom, who was going to fly out and climb baker with us realized she could change her flight and join us. The only thing that sucked about this is arm needed to head back to Portland to pick her up and he would be able to hike in with us. No biggie though. They would both meet us at Sunrise Camp the next day.

So we grabbed our bluebags - and headed off!!!

........

 

[giggy]

Mount Adams (WA; 12,276) Via Mazama Glacier Route; Part 2

We headed up to Sunrise camp via the climbers trail from Bird Creek Meadows and really got to soak in the scenery. Nice, remote, gorgeous.

We soon hiked out of the woods and on the scree and snow just as the summit cone was coming out of the clouds and we got to see our route of the glacier - it looked real good with some crevasses, but not many. rockfall didn't appear to be a huge problem and there were some cornices and seracs higher, but it looked like they were not in the fall line of what we would be climbing - all this while double bow (first time on a peak like this) was doing the ole "wow - this is amazing". These peaks really do blow your mind IMO.

We set up camp, shot the crap, took pics, eat, drank water, (we had glacier melt off - so no melting snow!!! Yea!!!)

the night brough many sounds of ice and rock crashing off the gliacier and cliffs over on the Klickitat icefall (s) at least 2 the size of multiple triple decker houses

the next day, cbcbc, jenn jeff and I traversed a bit of the Klickitat glacier a bit to get a short hike in while checking out some icefalls, crevasses, etc - from a safe distance. so we roped up and went on. Crossing a huge rock fall zone judging by the litter of rocks there. I wish I had a pic, but this was a no stop zone for sure. It was starting to heat up, so we grabbed some pix of the Klickitat glacier, some seracs, cornices up high and moved back to camp crossing the rock fall zone nice and fast again - and no sooner did a rock the size of a basketball come tumbling b/t jenn and I - so jenn flipped the rope up and the rock zipped past us - no biggie right?

We spent the next few hours waiting for arm and dani and by 5pm, we all kind of figured they weren't coming - we saw movement below - then realized it was a mt goat. - So we ate, re-tooled rope teams and then tried to get some sleep at 6pm - waiting for the nice midnight alpine start. For those who don't know - you climb these peaks early like that to 1) have good hard snow for your crampons to bite into as well as summiting and coming down before noon or so, to minimize your chances of snow bridges, serac (ice blocks) and rocks melting out and doing serious bodily harm to people.

and then about 7pm - I hear a women’s voice that wasn't jenns. - arm and dani arrived! I was glad they arrived, because they and I developed a pretty good friendship climbing rainier together a couple of years ago and they were both the first 2 I asked to come on this trip. I was pretty happy they arrived and were planning to climb at midnight - 2 strong mutha's to be able to do all that in a 24 hours period.

12:30am came quick and soon we were all firing up stoves and getting ready to go - weather looked ok - some clouds, but high level and it looked overall - good.

About 2am, we made it to the base of the glacier, roped up in teams of 3 and 4 - and started climbing - cbcbc, jenn, and woody leading the teams thought the glacier - doing best to avoid crevasses, and we didn't have to cross all that many - maybe 10 all together, most being less than a foot across and able to all them with little problems. Jenn, and I pulled a bit ahead and made t to the top of the first climb (about 9600 feet) - we then crossed a few small crevasses and started wanding the route. I made a hole with my axe and placed a wand - which hit air after about 3 inches and sunk all the way to the top - we were over crevasses - no problem, the snow was strong and kept going - making note, of not coming down that way later. We traverse climbers left and gained the rock cleaver after about climbing for roughly 3 hours. The sun was starting to come up and give us some warmth - which is always welcome! jenn did a great job routefinding here. woody's team followed and cbcbd's team decided to head up the to the right.

We all gathered at about 10,500 feet where this route pretty much joined the south climb route and we all unroped - it was untechnical steep snow and rock from here to the summit. the last 1500 vertical was a slog - above pikers peak 11,600K, it was the typical 20 steps, rest, repeat - and then after a bit, jenn,jeff and I topped out to amazing views of MT St Helens, Hood and Rainier. It was quite cold and windy - so jenn and I stayed up top for about 10 minutes (jeff is an animal so he stayed and waited for the others) and go down to pikers peak to eat and wait on the others. We passed the out at the base of the summit cone and took it nice and slow back to pikers.

We decided to all head back down the glacier somewhat together - but not too close! In case, someone fell through a hole or whatever. We made it back down to camp with no issues (but that always on your mind wonder if the next step your punching though!) - the trip down was cool, because you finally see all the crevasses you didn't see on the way up and there were at least a couple of big ones!!

We made it back to camp, packed up, headed back down to the cars.

What a great trip, up a great route, with great people - no path to follow, nobody to rely on but ourselves, made it all that much rewarding.

All of us summited!

Thanks to all who came - you’re all amazing - and we all came back unharmed as still friends - the most important thing.

I figure everyone will post their pics here - I still need to sort though mine.

wanted to give special thanks to woody,jenn and cbcdc for leading the ropes - their skills and experience were invaluable.

I figure others will comment and add their thoughts - I just wanted to get the ball rolling, because people were wondering about trip, etc…

 

[blacklab2020]

very very cool.

Nice Job!

 

[jessbee]

SWEET trip report, giggy, wish I could have joined you. Can't wait to see those crevasse pictures--that is one attribute of the western mountains that I've avoided so far. Were you able to check out any other mountains (besides Hood) on your trip??

Our attempt this weekend failed due to weather and lack of muscle (always a factor when traveling with noobs ) but still super fun. The bonus of taking the south spur route is the wicked glissade down to lunch counter

 

[giggy]

jess - we hiked a bit around mt st helens base on thursday - never saw the peak, due to clouds and rain - hiked a 2 mile lava tube cave


jenn and I walked around seattle aned drank beer on sat!

I heard from arm yesterday and he, doug dani summited baker via the easton route on sunday as the rest of us were on a plane home

 

[NewHampshire]

Sweet Gig man, can't wait for those pics!

Brian

 

[marty]

Giggy,
Fantastic, absolutely fantastic! Congratulations to you and the entire team on some amazing climbing.

Best regards,
Marty

 

[TMax]

Most excellant Guy!!! Congrats to everyone. Can't wait to hear the Hood story too .

 

[giggy]

here are some pix
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559739500WPAHVk

I had comments there, but they didn't save - basically the first few pics with crap weather is on hood rest is adams

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

The bonus of taking the south spur route is the wicked glissade down to lunch counter

Fine trip report and pics, Giggy. Congrats to all of you. Cascade volcanoes rule! I only have Baker remaining on my Washington list, which I hope to climb in late August. Will be continuing glacial geological field work on Adams and Baker for the last two weeks of August, so will try to work around the weather to take a couple of sunny days off to climb Baker from Schrieber's Meadows (the Railroad Grade route up the southwest ridge).

And, yes, glissading the trough 2000+ ft down to the Lunch Counter is apparently a cult thing to do on Adams (i.e., get in line, just like the alpine slide at Attitash, but a little longer!). The South Ridge route is also a fantastic ski descent in late spring.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Congrats to all of you! Well Done!

 

[Woody]

Giggy did organize a great trip. We all had a great time, on and off of the mountains! I'll post my pictures as soon as I get them organized.

Here are my pictures finally.

 

[darren]

Congrats to all! Glad you had a fun time.

- darren

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Thanks for posting your pics, giggy. You get good views of "The Hood" (as the locals call it) and St Helens on the way up, and then the big one - Rainier - when you top out.

Great pic of Jenn all frosty as well. Some different than humid New England at this time of year. I did Whitney as a dayhike on June 7th, and it was during a cold spell - my water froze at 8,500'.

Haven't had a chance to read Jess's trip report of her South Spur route, but will. The glissade alone is worth the very long trip to the trailhead.

 

[skiguy]

Nice Job Giggy and Crew. Looks like you definitely avoided the crowds on this one!

 

[una_dogger]

Very cool!

An awesome adventure made better by great friends....what could be finer??

 

[poison ivy]

Really enjoyed the report and pictures. Awesome job and congrats!!

- Ivy

 

[adamiata]

Great pics and report. Can't wait until I make it out there someday.

 

[Double Bow]

This was truly an amazing trip with an amazing group to an amazing place!!! Thank you Giggy for putting all the pieces together and making this happen. Thanks to everyone else for making this so much fun!!!!!

I will post my pics and a TR for Hood as soon as I get things sorted out.

 

[Bobby]

Super job by all of you. The pictures were awesome!