Mt Adams cross-country route question

One thing I can't tell from Google Earth is how dense the trees really are if I want to skin on a cross-country path to avoid miles of extra road up 8040 on Mt Adams to Cold Springs trailhead. For example, from Wicky Shelter to Cold Springs Trailhead it's about 7 miles but on the cross-country shortcut below I can cut out up to three miles if I take the shortcut plus avoid the switchbacks closer to Cold Springs.

At the Gotchen Creek trailhead: mapper.acme.com/?ll=46.12061 , -121.51493

If you veer off the road and go NE along the McDonald Ridge you intersect the road in after about 3,800 ft with only a little over 400' elevation gain, very little gain really for that distance. The target, as seen on that topo map being mapper.acme.com/?ll=46.12711 , -121.50353

From Google Earth it looks like the trees aren't quite as dense on the top of McDonald Ridge there (which isn't much of a ridge at that point), just wondering what it's really like there and if I could skin through there or if it would be a real bushwhack. Three miles saved isn't worth it if it's 5 times as difficult, although it would certainly be an adventure.

Thanks,

Brian

The trees are open but if there's not enough snowpack there will be a lot of blowdown and shrubbery to deal with. Otherwise seems like that ridge would be a good shortcut. Although, after all this wind and bluster, I'm not sure if Adams will be the best place to get the goods.

That's ponderosa pine heaven, not west-side rainforest. It's all pretty open as long as there's several feet of snow to cover the blowdowns, rocks, and scrub. That should be your concern.

I sure hope you're not planning to go up there anytime soon. The combination of winds, cold and altitude doesn't sound very inviting.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks guys. I'm not going until Memorial Day weekend, should have plenty of snow still at that point. Just planning things out, prepared for a very long slog in if the expected La Nina pans out after all.