Mount Adams South Climb — Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020

My buddy, Kevin, and I wanted to see if we could summit Mount Adams in one day. We arrived at the trailhead parking lot around 5pm and attempted to sleep in the car, but were unsuccessful. Some people can sleep in a car, I'm just not one of them.

We had a goal of leaving the parking lot at 11pm, summit by 9am, descend, and arrive back at the car by 3pm. Our predictions were fairly accurate as we reached the summit at 8:50am and got back to the car at 2:55pm. 

Prior to this, I had only climbed Mount St. Helens twice and never gone above 10,000', so I wasn't completely confident that we would summit. Kevin has far more mountaineering experience than I do. Out of all of the five major stratovolcanoes in Washington State, Glacier Peak is the only summit has hasn't stood on. However, for me, with dogged determination and focusing on one section at a time, my confidence began to increase with each step I took.

Leaving at 11pm appeared to be the right decision because, despite not sleeping since Thursday night, we were almost to Pikers Peak (11,600') as the sun was coming up. 

The most difficult section was the climb up to Pikers Peak coming up from the Lunch Counter. We found that climbing up via the snowfield was much more beneficial than climbing up the loose scree to the left. The last little section would be best accompanied by an ice axe opposed to trekking poles.

Climbing the last snowfield (sticking to the right of Lunch Counter) would have been easier with crampons, but micro spikes worked just fine especially with how cold it was that early in the morning. 

Once you reach the rocks up at Pikers Peak, you can see the summit and you feel an overwhelming sense of "We're actually going to do this!" However, this feeling is short lived as the last switchback laden section up the scree seems to take forever. It's almost like getting paid for a job prior to doing the job. 

To make it easier on yourself, try leaving your pack and gear at Pikers Peak and finish the last little section with only what you need for the top (snack, warm clothes, ice axe, camera, etc.). Make sure to read the conditions at the top as the wind was brutal this day and made capturing a celebratory photo rather difficult. 

I was nervous to attempt this because this was my first serious climb, but the 15 hour day provided plenty of useful climbing and navigation lessons that will be useful in the future. After this, I have my eyes set on Mount Baker and Mount Tahoma (Rainier).

The way down was the best part because the snow softens and melts as the weather warms up it makes sliding down trekking poles whilst digging in your heels decreases the abuse to your knees, hips, and feet. 

Helpful Tips:

• consider leaving your crampons in the car or at home as micro spikes worked just fine for us
• bring a water filter or lots of water with you
• make sure to wear pants, a breathable long sleeve shirt, and face covering as the snowfields in the afternoon will leave you with a sunburn
• trekking poles and an ice axe are necessities
• don't forget to check the conditions at the summit as they will greatly differ from the weather at the trailhead
• lean back on your heels as you descend down the snowfields; doing this is safer than glissading and decreases the abuse to your knees, hips, and feet
• don't forget to pay for a climbing permit ($10-$15 depending on the day); we forgot to purchase ours, but managed to pay once we had reception on the way back

This was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Prior to this, running my first marathon had been the most physically challenging thing I've ever done. Climbing a volcano like Mount Adams is a serious undertaking, so make sure to constantly assess how you're feeling, your current location, and remember to save enough energy for the descent and hike back to the trailhead. Happy Trails!