We left from the Cold Springs TH at 9 AM on Monday, July 25th. Echoing what others have said about the road conditions, especially work that has been done recently for drainage, in that a high clearance vehicle is really essential. Sedans will have a difficult time clearing a number of these large vertical bumps that have been placed in the road to mitigate washouts. The heat dome had already set in so the hike up to Lunch Counter was a really warm one. Each of us brought 3 L of water to ensure hydration up until base camp. This amount of water was absolutely necessary.
Snow patches start around 7000 feet but crampons are not really needed until just above 8000 feet, at the start of the Piker’s Peak climb. It was hot at camp but we used snow from the snow fields in our hats and shirts to cool off. Taking our boots off and sticking our feet in the snow was pure magic. Because of the heat dome and the high pressure, the air pollution was pushed down to a patty just below 10,000 feet which made the sunset that evening absolutely spectacular. Glorious shades of orange, pink and rose. We could see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and could practically reach out and touch Mount Saint Helens. We were even treated to a mountain goat at sunset.
We were up at 2 AM the next morning, ate breakfast, packed up, put on our boots, crampons and grabbed our trekking poles and ice axes and headed for the summit at 3:30 AM. While others might complain about the stretch up to Piker’s Peak, saying that it is a “slog,“ this part of the journey was one of my favorites. The rhythmic boot steps accompanied by the crescent moon with Venus to the lower left, all while watching the light of the sun spread across the valley, hit Piker‘s Peak and stretch across the snow slope and eventual reaching our feet, was absolutely magical. We reached Piker‘s Peak at 6 AM.
The traverse across the saddle was glorious; expansive views with gorgeous morning light. We made our way to the summit, arriving at 9:30 am where it was nearly 50° with a light breeze and were treated to views stretching from Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Goat Peaks Wilderness, the Yakima Valley, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson and Mount Saint Helens. The fire lookout cabin is still buried under at least 15 or 20 feet of snow. We could have stayed up there comfortably all day but knew that the high heat was increasing at lower elevations.
Glissading down around 10 AM, the conditions were absolutely perfect. The snow was just starting to soften up and we made our way down to Lunch Counter utilizing four or five long and steep chutes which equated to time savings such that our descent back to our tents was just a little over an hour. From here, we packed up and headed for the trail head at 12:30 pm.
This stretch back to the TH was the hardest part of the entire journey as the temperatures were blazing hot. We were well prepared with plenty of water, 3 or 4 L per person, and stopped regularly to put snow in our hats to cool our heads and bodies. There were a couple more short and steep glissading chutes just below 8000 feet that helped us make some quick time. We arrived back to the trailhead and to our cars with air-conditioning at 2:30 PM.
I did this trip with just a handful of close friends and family for my 50th birthday. I’ve been in the backcountry of most western states the last 30 years and I’ve had some incredible adventures. This was absolutely one of the more profoundly beautiful ones. I’ll be doing this one again…
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