E
El Caminante
Guest
Date of Hike: 2/2 and 2/3
4 inches powder on trail til Gray Knob - easy but plodding. Above, rock and snow - not much ice. No crampons needed - used only stabilicers. Above tree line goggles helpful. Didn't even use face mask.
Inspired by my second reading of "Into Thin Air", I scaled Mt Adams. On Saturday the hike up to Gray Knob was charming - I broke the trail. Good footing til the last steep 1/2 mile before Gray Knob - a couple of belly slides then. 4-6 inches of trail snow would sometimes slide away due to ice underneath.
Overnighted at the hut - great company with friendly caretaker/reporter Steve. Two groups failed to summit Saturday due to 120 mile winds!
On Sunday wind was 20-30, 10-20 degree temps but visibility was poor - barely could see from cairn to cairn. At snow field after Adams 4, the next cairn was not visible at all - thankfully Minnesota Man materialized out of the freezing fog and together we managed to get to Adams. Good footing - but the poor visibility and tiny Adams cairns were a challenge. Focus, focus especially as the viz would suddenly diminish. The snow field was the worst - disconcerting - everything was white with little refeence points. Several groups turned back - but Luke made it too. Hope Minn. Man made it to Jefferson and down safely.
Most challenging hike for me since Cotopaxi! I miss my regular hiking partner "La Princesa Perdida" aka Pumpkin Pie but took Hampshee for company
4 inches powder on trail til Gray Knob - easy but plodding. Above, rock and snow - not much ice. No crampons needed - used only stabilicers. Above tree line goggles helpful. Didn't even use face mask.
Inspired by my second reading of "Into Thin Air", I scaled Mt Adams. On Saturday the hike up to Gray Knob was charming - I broke the trail. Good footing til the last steep 1/2 mile before Gray Knob - a couple of belly slides then. 4-6 inches of trail snow would sometimes slide away due to ice underneath.
Overnighted at the hut - great company with friendly caretaker/reporter Steve. Two groups failed to summit Saturday due to 120 mile winds!
On Sunday wind was 20-30, 10-20 degree temps but visibility was poor - barely could see from cairn to cairn. At snow field after Adams 4, the next cairn was not visible at all - thankfully Minnesota Man materialized out of the freezing fog and together we managed to get to Adams. Good footing - but the poor visibility and tiny Adams cairns were a challenge. Focus, focus especially as the viz would suddenly diminish. The snow field was the worst - disconcerting - everything was white with little refeence points. Several groups turned back - but Luke made it too. Hope Minn. Man made it to Jefferson and down safely.
Most challenging hike for me since Cotopaxi! I miss my regular hiking partner "La Princesa Perdida" aka Pumpkin Pie but took Hampshee for company
