May 21, and 22 Mount Adams attempt

I tried to ski up Mount Adams last weekend.
The road is drivable all the way to Cold Springs Campground.  The trail was skiable all the way to the campground.  What a perfect combination.  On Saturday with friends and my Springer Spaniel dog, I skied with all my camping gear to Lunch Counter, or just below at 9,000 feet.  The snow was good, but I never really skied down.   We could see Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens under the clouds.

I left about 8:30 am and reached Lunch counter at about 2:00 pm.  

At lunch counter, the winds were strong so I dug into the biggest drift I could find and put my tent up in the hole.  My dog was shivering so in the tent and under the down parka he went.  I cooked supper sticking my head out the door, but never really got food cooked until I brought the stove inside.  All night the winds buffetted the tent.  I woke up a number of times during the night wondering if it would blow away.  It snowed all night and snow drifted into the vestibule and around the edges of tent.

Next morning the wind was still howling but when I looked outside I could see it was clear.  I could see Mt Hood over the clouds and the false summit above.  I got dressed and went outside.  As soon as I went out from behnd the rock, I almost got knocked over the winds were so strong.  I thought it would just be too dangerous alone with the high winds and poor weather so I started to pack up to go down.

Everything had to be tied down at all times as I packed up.  My dog stayed in the tent until I packed it up around him.  

When I was finished I was stuck in a whiteout.  So I turned on the GPS to get the bearing to the last waypoint, and took a bearing to go there.  I put on my skis but soon found that with the wind, icy snow, and heavy pack that it just wasn't worth skiing.  I kept getting knocked over by the wind.  

So I sat down and put my skis on my pack, but kept my poles for balance.  Once in a while I found tracks usually raised about 4 inches because the wind had blow the snow around them away.  

At one point I found myself just walking downwind, not really following any particular direction.  I got my GPS and compass out again to adjust my route.  And so I walked down until I saw the treeline and the second GPS waypoint.  It was a tent, but now there were only snow walls.  A good place for a break.  

Soon I ran into people.  I told them my story and they continued up, but I don't think for too long after they hit the wind.  Soon I was down amoung the trees, where it was pleasant and calm.  I skied to the car.  They had said I had left my dome light on and I had, but the car started anyway.  I was lucky.  

I learned a lot and have made some adjustments to my equipment.  I ordered a snow saw, bought a bivy sack and a new compass.  My old one after 20 years, has almost no liquid and so the needle shacks too much.

Anyone want to try again Memorial Day weekend?