I simply must make TWO HUGE apologies to anyone who reads this blog...
1) I am sorry for interrupting my recounting of adventures on the road, don't fear I will return soonish with fresh stories.
2) I am sorry for failing to use the abbreviation "Mt." whenever I refer to the great mountain known as Adams (or Klickitat by the local native tribes). However I have known good friends who have lost brothers and buddies on the dangerous mountains here in the Cascades, so I respect this peak, its two brother peaks, and its sister peak. They kill. I don't worship these peaks or anything, but I respect them.
With all that taken care of, let me tell you about the mountain, then I'll tell you about the hike, then I'll tell you about the gear and accommodations for the trip.
Elevation: 12,281 ft
2nd Biggest Volcano in Washington State
194th tallest peak in North America
Passes: Required for hiking above the Lunch Counter
Cost:
Camp sites run ~$15 a night
Food you buy yourself for Friday breakfast, the hike, and for the night after the hike ($12 a person)
Hiking pass ($10)
The Hike:
All my info about this summit comes second hand off people's blogs or from Dan from Mars Ballard, so take it with a big grain of salt.
This 13 mile round trip features a 6,704ft elevation gain across snow fields, glaciers, and barren tundra. It can be done in one day, that is not to say that the first time I try I will succeed. This is a non-technical summit requiring power-slogging (I of course mean that you just keep going and persevering). As Elliott has said in the past, "A long slog? Sounds fun, I'll slog it out any day." So anyone who wants to come with me will be in for one brutal day...or two if you're as crazy as I am.
The first 2 miles are in the trees over dry ground. The next obstacle will be a boulder field with a large amount of rapidly melting snow and ice. Every blogger has recommended reaching this field early in the day before the temperature rises too much, reducing mobility. The snow fields start after this point with a gentle grade all the way up to the Lunch Counter where many people choose to camp in the numerous wind protected campsites. The next 1.5-2 hours are steep with soft snow up to the false summit; the view is supposed to be legendary along this stretch. The effects of altitude will be brutal from the Lunch Counter on. A prolonged rest (acclimatization break) is recommended at the false summit because there is extensive cover from the continuous wind. Also drop all excess weight and pick it up on the way down. The last 600 vertical feet are the hardest part because this air is the thinnest of the whole hike. At the top, you can see hundreds of miles and the fraternal peaks. The way down is EPIC, well not as epic as my road trip, but still pretty sweet. You can glissade more that 65% of the way down including one part where you lose 2,700 ft without stopping! Reading others' experiences has led me to make two recommendations:
1) Practice Rest Stepping:
After the Lunch Counter, conserving your leg muscles and reducing your body's demand for oxygen will go a long way. Read THIS article and learn. Rest Stepping is a great method for exactly this sort of hike.
2) Altitude Sickness:
This is due to the body's reaction to lower oxygen levels above 10,000ft. Anyone who has done Muir with me knows what this feels like. According to other bloggers the best ways to combat this are to:
a) Take antioxidants like vitamin A,C, and E
b) Take a substance called Acetazolamide (Diamox) which can help prevent the effects if taken preemptively, unfortunately this substance dehydrates the user, and is dangerous if taken with Alcohol (I am skeptical about this one)
c) Take the herbal supplement Ginko Biloba
The Two Day July 25-26th Hike
We will leave Seattle at 9:00pm on Sunday July 24th and spend the night at my college friend's house in Portland. On Monday morning we will leave for Mount Adams and start our hike up to the "Lunch Counter" at about 9400ft where we will sleep and acclimatize. On Tuesday, we will hike to the 12,281ft summit and descend rapidly using our thermo sheets using the amazing ice chutes. The Plan is to be back in Seattle on Tuesday night.(6 people confirmed so far: Pavel, Jen, Eric, Andy, Andy's dad, and Me)
The One Day July 31st Hike
We will leave Seattle at 6:15pm on Friday night and head directly to Cold Springs Campground at the foot of Mount Adams. After a good night's sleep, we will ascend as far as possible, however a summit is unlikely since we will be hiking all 6700ft in a single day. We will go as far as is reasonable and safe. When we descend, fatigue is certain, so we shall camp back in Cold Springs Campground. The Plan is to return to Seattle on Sunday by about 3pm. (Two people confirmed so far: Sean and Me)
Gear:
A brand new Army Emergency Medical Kit (I will provide)
3 changes of cloths (two for camping (one for the drive) one for the hike
Sleeping bag or comforter
Tent (if you have one)
Cook Stove (if you have one)
Food for Friday morning that will top up you energy
Food for Friday night that can be cooked over fire or a camp stove
A towel for after the hike in the car
Food for the Hike, snaking is very important (I prefer baked good, trail mix, sandwiches, slices of cold pizza, etc)
Water for the hike ~2 Liters
Sun Glasses or Ski goggles with UV protection
Sun Screen SPF 30+
Ice Axes (optional)
A day backpack to carry water and food in for the 1 day option
A back packing pack for the 2 day option
A stalking cap, tuque , baclava, or hat
Gloves (for snow ball fights)
Strong boots with some water-proofing (Cramp-ons optional)
2 Large Black Garbage bags (for enjoying the long ice chutes on the snow fields)
Thermal Gear Top and bottom (Under-Armor or "long johns")
Heavy tuque hat
Thick wool socks (Maybe bring a second pair)
A scarf
Medium weight jacket (with some sort of liner & some rain resistance)
Accommodations:
We will be staying at the Cold Springs Campground (no water available) in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. I will bring a 3 man tent, cook stove, wood + white gasoline to light it, food for breakfast on Sunday before we go home, and 1 extra sleeping bag. For the Two day option, we will camp at the "Lunch Counter" at 9400ft.
Quotes from other Blogs:
"We glissaded down 2700 vertical ft to Lunch Counter. Without stopping. It took us 10 to 15 minutes to descend the slope that took us an hour and a half to climb."
-Dave & Iva's Blog
"Gorgeous views of Rainier awaited us at the summit. Barely visible under the snow were remains from a fire tower / sulphur mine that once was located at the top of Mt Adams." -Naffziger's Summit
Here is a funny story about Mount Adams:
Hall Kelley was a man from the early 1800s who became fascinated by the exploits of Lewis and Clark. He repeatedly tried to reach the Pacific Northwest overland, but due to finances and circumstance failed. He ended up heading to New Orleans and from there south to Veracruz and eventually up to Monterey. He then finally made it to the mouth of the Columbia River where he recovered from Malaria. He shipped out to Hawaii and eventually returned to Boston. In the end he showed himself to be a great organizer and leader of men and a strong influence on others who eventually came from the east and settled Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Now that isn't the funny story. Before he set out on his long, yet successful adventure he led an organization to rename the Cascade Mountain Range to the "Presidents Range." The idea was to name all the big mountains of this range after former U.S. Presidents. He failed in renaming the range, but succeeded in renaming one mountain after a president. He received approval to rename Mount Hood after President John Adams. But due to the inaccurate maps of the day and a careless cartographer the name "Mount Adams" was placed 30 miles east of Mount St. Helens and 40 miles north of Mount Hood on the official map of the area. Fortunately, or providentially if your are a Calvinist, there was a big mountain already at the exact location! Thus Mount Adams received its name.
