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Mount Adams 12,276 ft 3742 m

Cascade Range, Washington

Mount Adams from highway to the east

Mount Adams is one of the dormant Cascade volcanoes, third highest, and the South Spur (Suksdorf) route has a trail  to the top that was once used by pack mules carrying sulphur down. Many people camp partway up the peak, but with a headlamp start, I made it in some 12 hours round trip from the end of the road at Cold Springs. The last couple of miles driving from Trout Lake to the starting point  were extremely rough: fortunately the car was a rental.

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Partway up the trail from Horse Camp, Mount Adams in the distance at left. Photo taken on descent.

I left Horse Camp at 4:00 a.m. under a full moon to make a one-day ascent of the peak in September 94. Many parties were camped right near this point, The Lunch Counter, and were just crawling out of the sack as I arrived.

A moderate snowslope above The Lunch Counter was a pleasant diversion from rubble lower down. Though frozen hard in the morning, this snow patch softened to allow a good glissade on the way back. I wonder if the mules used to glissade? Gives new meaning to "sliding on your ass", doesn't it?

Just plodding along, but by now I am feeling the 12000+ feet of altitude. Feels tiring, or maybe it is just lack of sleep.

  Nearing the top of Mount Adams around 10 a.m., with a few really early folks already there. I had a mild headache up here. Not many people were going up and down in one day. Many had camped partway up so they could sleep in. Elevation gain from my camp was about 7000 feet. Views were fine, but there are not many other big peaks nearby to see, unlike a typical view from Mount Sir Donald or Bryce or Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies. This, however is much easier, and is really just a long scramble or snow plod depending on time of year. Glissading down is fanastic!

From the top, Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens appear close by. Mount Adams is about the same height as Mount Columbia in the Canadian Rockies, but Adams is a lot easier and not as cold, on average.

More information on Adams and other Cascade Volcanoes is found in Summit Guide to the Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot.

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Chased by a glacier!