Mount Adams, Washington

Carly Kovacik and I summited Mount Adams (12,276 feet) on September 10th. The climb began at 3 am, and was initially characterized by a leisurely stroll through a forest of mainly dead trees, a few of which were strewn across the trail due to a recent wind storm. After the forest, we then ascended up a shoulder of Adams, gradually encountering increasingly rocky terrain. Sunrise greeted us as we reached the first of several glaciers. At the first glacier, we looked back to our south and witnessed Mount Hood catching the first rays of daylight, while the low-lands below were blanketed in dark thick smoke.

We put on micro-spikes and moved up our first glacier traverse, which was followed by a climb over a moraine, and then a second glacial traverse. We then reached the Lunch Counter, which was pocketed by a smattering of tents sheltering people who were likely smarter than Carly and I since they broke up Adams into a two day ascent. After moving past the Lunch Counter, a much steeper glacier lay in front of us. We switch backed up this glacier, using a bit more caution than the last glacier due to our use of tiny micro-spikes on steep ice. We finally reached the top of the glacier and encountered the most grueling portion of the climb...a steep rocky ash covered slope that led to Pikers Peak. There were times when each step up sent us sliding back down five feet. It was a miserable experience, but we got past it, eventually. We then had a bit of flat terrain on Pikers Peak that led to another flat glacial traverse that was followed by the final pitch up Adams. This last pitch was steep, but the footing was not bad, and before we knew it, we were at the summit. 

There is an old hut at the top of Adams...perhaps a fire lookout? Otherwise, we had clear views of Rainier, Baker, Saint Helens, and Hood. Even better, there was no wind at the top and the air was mild. We relaxed for a bit at the summit and then began the long arduous descent. It was a killer on my feet and knees. There were a few falls here or there, including a tumble on a glacier. Otherwise, the down-climb was uneventful, albeit pure misery. We finally got back to the trailhead at around 6 pm. Fifteen hours of hiking,  14000 feet up and down over a horizontal distance of about 12 miles. I'm glad I got this summit, but I'm not sure I'll ever be back, at least not to attempt summiting in one day.

Google map location is here.