April 29, 2012, Mt. Adams
4/29/12
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2167
1
A good long stretch on Mt. Adams:
http://alpenglowsports.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/trip-report-mt-adams-12281-feet/
http://alpenglowsports.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/trip-report-mt-adams-12281-feet/
Solid! Way to tough out the rigors and daunting nature of that long human powered approach.
As others have noted on your blog, it actually isn't THAT much more work to go ahead and drop the SW chutes. It puts you off axis by about 2 miles. But if you do it right that 2 miles can go real fast as a descending traverse. Especially if it's early enough that the Morrison Creek drainage still has snow and you can cut off the last long switchback of the summer road.
It's even possible sans GPS by using the creek as handrail.
However one of the reasons people do the SW chutes is to avoid the pummeled snow on the standard ascent route, and you clearly didn't have that problem with your descent! So you got to enjoy the S ridge in rare conditions THIS time and can save the SW Chutes experience for your NEXT time.
Good beta BTW on your blog about the Three Sisters yurts, I did not know about that place. Nice too that you got a chance to hang with local hardman, comeback kid, and all around good guy Roger Strong.
Of all the places to have to wait out weather, Hood River might be one of the better. More brew pubs per square mile than maybe anywhere else on earth, and some good green rain hikes in the Gorge for stetching the legs in between.
As others have noted on your blog, it actually isn't THAT much more work to go ahead and drop the SW chutes. It puts you off axis by about 2 miles. But if you do it right that 2 miles can go real fast as a descending traverse. Especially if it's early enough that the Morrison Creek drainage still has snow and you can cut off the last long switchback of the summer road.
It's even possible sans GPS by using the creek as handrail.
However one of the reasons people do the SW chutes is to avoid the pummeled snow on the standard ascent route, and you clearly didn't have that problem with your descent! So you got to enjoy the S ridge in rare conditions THIS time and can save the SW Chutes experience for your NEXT time.
Good beta BTW on your blog about the Three Sisters yurts, I did not know about that place. Nice too that you got a chance to hang with local hardman, comeback kid, and all around good guy Roger Strong.
Of all the places to have to wait out weather, Hood River might be one of the better. More brew pubs per square mile than maybe anywhere else on earth, and some good green rain hikes in the Gorge for stetching the legs in between.
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