Home > Trip Reports > march 06, 2005, mnt. adams, south side

march 06, 2005, mnt. adams, south side

3/6/05
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
17477
27
Posted by kam on 3/6/05 9:15am
the snowpack on Adams right now resembles that of a normal late May/early June snowpack.  it's hard to believe that we're about 2.5-months ahead of schedule.  but why complain, especially when the skiing is good? below Kelvin carves corn on our home-made skis, the Kung Paoders:



details
FR 23 is still closed, but you can drive down to Vancouver, cross over the Hood River Bridge ($0.75 toll) and approach Trout Lake from the south.  if you're quick, the trip from Seattle takes 4.5-5 hours.  the $15 climbing permit (per person) doesn't go into affect until June 1st, but your vehicle must display a sno-park pass ($9/visit or $21/year) to park.  here's a view of Adams from Trout Lake.  don't forget to pick up your hot-lunch sacks.  you can drive to Morrison Creek campground (click here to see photo of parking area), but the last 0.5-mile may require 4/all-wheel drive.  we drove up with no problems in a Subaru Forester.  there's continuous snow for skinning starting at the campground, but it appears to be melting fast.  the snow below ~8000 ft. has gone through a good melt/freeze cycle and it's very creamy corn.  above that, the conditions are variable with large patches of rime ice.  i'm sure it will quickly improve.  here's a view of the south side from 8000 ft.  go get it before it all melts!!

... i'll post more photos soon.
Very nice - thanks for the report Kam!

I wish I could have made it - looks good.  Casshole tells me you brushwacked a quarter mile off the summer trail all the way to treeline.  I found this very pleasing.
-s

...brushwacked a quarter mile off the summer trail...


i don't know what you're talking about.

very nice call on another "first ski of the season".  Good info for those of us taht come behind you, too.
Thanks, Kamster.

Adams time already? Better stock up on Red Bull for that drive . . .


there's continuous snow for skinning starting at the campground, but it appears to be melting fast.


"Continous" meaning you don't mind skinning over short (usually less than 10-ft) sections of bare dirt/roots/rocks below ~5,500'  ;)  It's currently not too bad though; we were able to ski all the way back to the car in the forest without taking the boards off  :)  

Casshole tells me you brushwacked a quarter mile off the summer trail all the way to treeline.  

Oi! I've said too much  ;)

Anyway, some pics from the trip are posted here.  (unfortunately the camera batteries died before we reached the best of the corn skiing below ~8,000-ft).


Excellent report...I had been thinkin about heading down that way for some corn...but the drive from Vancouver B.C. is a killer...but is worth it for the turns down the SW chutes in butter! Any ideas when FR 23 usually opens???

Ah damn it, the Chick Magnet still needs bearings. It can't be time for Adams yet!!!!  ;D  Good job Kaminator crew, always ahead of the curve.----Jerry

I've got to say, I am both impressed and encouraged by how many of you are willing to drive the 5hrs to Adams for somewhat questionable snow! Threads like this make me feel like a driving wimp.

Thanks for the report and excellent access details. I do have a question, though (or maybe I'm just not seeing it): how far up were you able to make it? I don't see any photos from the big south slope, so maybe you turned around near the Lunch Counter?

yes, we did get to the bottom part of lunch counter ~9000' before we stopped to turn around (after basking in the sun for a bit :)).  thanks for a great day you guys!  great views and great snow....who could ask for more? (btw, skip, you would have liked the shwack...)

how far up were you able to make it?


hi Charles:  we stopped at the Lunch Counter -- the snow above the Counter didn't appeal to us.  but it is starting to corn up though.

Nice pictures you guys! Looks like you got some nice corn snow down there!
Definitely seems like the fallback on Adams from Sahale was a good option!

Sorry for my lack of memory, but how far is Morrison from Cold Springs?  Either mileage or time.....

Sorry for my lack of memory, but how far is Morrison from Cold Springs?  Either mileage or time.....

I think cold springs is about 3 miles by road beyond Morrison Creek campground, but I don't have my maps handy to double-check.  It might be faster to follow the summer trail from Morrison for access, but then one risks wasting lots of time negotiating brush/fallen-logs, etc. if the summer trail route isn't followed exactly (whoops  ;))...after now trying the Morrison approach, I think route finding is much easier just following the road to Cold Springs.  
btw- snow coverage looked good on the SW chutes  :), but it may take some time still for it to corn-up (currently lots of rime ice above ~8,500' on the south slope, which is why we turned-around at the 'Lunch Counter').  We only saw 3 other groups on the south slope last Sunday.  

i've posted more photos click here">.  enjoy.


I think cold springs is about 3 miles by road beyond Morrison Creek campground, but I don't have my maps handy to double-check.  It might be faster to follow the summer trail from Morrison for access, but then one risks wasting lots of time negotiating brush/fallen-logs, etc. if the summer trail route isn't followed exactly (whoops  ;))  


Chris is right it's 3 miles to Cold Springs from Morrison Creek.  It seems longer if you are carrying your skis on your pack and think you could possibly do it in "the boots".  The Short Horn Trail from Morrison creek is a good way to go as long as you don't do the "whoops" like Chris said above.  Ron and I have done the hike from Morrison to Cold Springs once, (that was enough  >:() and have done the Short Horn trail from Morrison Creek several times with the "whoops" factor getting less each time.  Thanks to Ron we now seem to have a pretty good GPS track going that way though, as long as you don't get to excited and jump ship, or in this case "track".  Being somewhat of the geezer status, :D our favorite way is to wait until the road to Cold Springs is open and then go for it.   ;D

Allyson I didnt know you advertise for Preperation-H.

;D ;D ;D

That's messed up.

the snowpack on Adams right now resembles that of a normal late May/early June snowpack.  it's hard to believe that we're about 2.5-months ahead of schedule.  but why complain, especially when the skiing is good? below Kelvin carves corn on our home-made skis, the Kung Paoders:



details
FR 23 is still closed, but you can drive down to Vancouver, cross over the Hood River Bridge ($0.75 toll) and approach Trout Lake from the south.  if you're quick, the trip from Seattle takes 4.5-5 hours.  the $15 climbing permit (per person) doesn't go into affect until June 1st, but your vehicle must display a sno-park pass ($9/visit or $21/year) to park.  here's a view of Adams from Trout Lake.  don't forget to pick up your hot-lunch sacks.  you can drive to Morrison Creek campground (click here to see photo of parking area), but the last 0.5-mile may require 4/all-wheel drive.  we drove up with no problems in a Subaru Forester.  there's continuous snow for skinning starting at the campground, but it appears to be melting fast.  the snow below ~8000 ft. has gone through a good melt/freeze cycle and it's very creamy corn.  above that, the conditions are variable with large patches of rime ice.  i'm sure it will quickly improve.  here's a view of the south side from 8000 ft.  go get it before it all melts!!

... i'll post more photos soon.


canadians ski sw chutes mar 6.

access as previously described. the road from morrison to cold springs is 3 miles.  we stayed on skis the  whole time up, with a few dirt patches.  a few shortcuts near the end, and ended up bypassing cold springs. estimated extra time though was about 1 hour 10 min.

snow on south climb above 9500' alternated between a foot of windpacked snow on top of water ice (takes screws nicely) and exposed water ice.  crampons were mandatory for the last ~300' of bootpack to pikers peak.

50 mph winds at pikers peak itself.  then for about 1400' down the chutes, it was the same alternating rimed crusty windpack and water ice. then at that point, on the  west side of the chutes the snow smoothed and softened to corn. too much though when we got there, but  was ok with fat skis.  took our time on south climb hoping for softer  conditions higher up.

must have been the rain that made the ice? don't know, but would be nice for upper chutes  to smooth out before hitting it again.

Awesome report Kam.
I have to check that out. I have never been there before.

Where is the adventure this weekend?

Where is the adventure this weekend?

north.  hwy20.  and most likely involving my birthday suit  ;) and our (Kelvin and i) latest home-made skis.

Yo, Kam isn't it your birthday today?
32, Right?  
Happy birthday, Dude!!

Yo, Kam isn't it your birthday today?
32, Right?  
Happy birthday, Dude!!

yes. thanks, Ron! but i'm way older than that ;D.  at the very least i feel it..

happy b-day Kam, who knew we shared a b-day.

Happy birthday, sag  ;)

happy b-day Kam, who knew we shared a b-day.


hey sag, happy birthday too!  March is a kool month!

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march-06-2005-mnt-adams-south-side
kam
2005-03-06 17:15:04