Home > Trip Reports > May 25-26, 2005, Mt Adams, Lava-Lyman-Wilson-Rusk

May 25-26, 2005, Mt Adams, Lava-Lyman-Wilson-Rusk

5/25/05
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
20625
7
Posted by Amar Andalkar on 6/1/05 11:09am
The northeast and east flanks of Mount Adams are the least visited but most spectacular part of this great volcano, a magnificent cathedral of vertical rock spires, overhanging ice cliffs, tumbling glaciers, and jagged lava flows. I had become increasingly fascinated with this side of Mount Adams since skiing the Lyman Glacier in June 2004 (see TAY report) and then returning to hike up the Ridge of Wonders in late summer and the Highline Trail to Goat Butte in early fall, for amazing views of the Klickitat, Rusk, and Wilson Glaciers. David Coleman had joined me on the Goat Butte hike and shared my desire to explore and ski the glaciers of the eastern flank. Unfortunately, this bizarre season featuring the worst snowpack in WA since 1941 followed by generally unsettled spring weather had conspired against our plans. Finally, in late May a high pressure window opened and we knew that it had to be now or wait till next year.

We left Seattle at 6 AM and drove via SR 410, 123, US 12, FR 21, 2160, 56, and 2329 to reach the Muddy Meadows trailhead at 4400 ft in 140 miles (access via SR 7, US 12, and FR 23 to 2329 is simpler but longer, about 150 miles). We took in a (very minimal crevasse hazard) to a large flat area at 8500 ft and at 10 AM, bundled up despite the bright sun and moderate temps. We aimed SSE towards the prominent 8440 ft Lyman-Wilson saddle, hoping to find a continuously skiable path through the numerous terminal and lateral moraines of the Lava and Lyman Glaciers. We passed though a minor gap at 7600 ft and dropped onto the Lyman Glacier, losing less than 100 ft in a descending traverse onto the uncrevassed lower glacier. Spectacular views up the towered overhead. We reached is heavily broken by a major serac field and a large cliffy nunatak, while the northern edge offers a smooth steep perfect ski run (the southern edge is steeper but less smooth, with some crevasse hazard). We zipped down the north side run on excellent corn (see photo below), preserved by the wind despite 8 hours of direct sun on the easterly aspect. Snow stability was excellent, much better than expected given the warming trend of the previous 2 days (a special bulletin from the NWAC had also warned of "increasing avalanche activity expected at higher elevations"). A small break in the lateral moraine at 7800 ft offers the easiest exit from the Rusk and on more excellent corn (NW facing slope), then cut a


David carves the perfect corn beside a maze of seracs on the Rusk Glacier, with the rock towers of The Castle and the edge of the summit icecap looming overhead.
click here for an enlarged version of this photo.




Edited to add a topo map showing a GPS track of our route:



See also a full-size version, 912 KB. Note that there are several glitches in the GPS track, and the GPS finally went nuts at the edge of the Rusk Glacier, so the last part of the route is hand-drawn.

[hr]
[size=1]A note about access and legality: The Wilson and Rusk Glaciers lie within "Tract D", a portion of Mount Adams which was transferred from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the control of the Yakama Nation in 1972. Public access is apparently allowed only between July 1 and October 1, although this appears to be enforced only on the developed area near Bird Creek Meadows and Bench Lake on the southeast flank. For those who wish to remain on firmer legal ground, in a normal snow year our route and the Wilson and Rusk Glaciers should be skiable and worthwhile well after July 1, although June would probably offer the most ideal conditions. For what it's worth, it appears that several first ascents of routes on the east side of Adams (listed in Beckey vol. 1) were done outside the allowed access period.[/size]

[hr]
This was the start of a (planned to be) lengthy Cascade volcano ski road trip. Other trip reports:
May 28-29, 2005, Mt Shasta, Avalanche Gulch
A finely crafted and very informative report, Amar.
You know, you do such a great job at this you should consider writing a book about it  ;)

Excellent report and pictures, Amar. Thanks!

Now that's a good trip report!

Paul:  Any comments?  ;D

No summit? What's there to comment on?  ;)

Of course, I'm just jealous that I didn't get to go.

;D
Now thats ski mountaineering. Way to find a line in a bad glacier season.
I have checked out your web site in the past it's a fun site.

Thanks for all of the kind comments. I've added a topo map with a GPS track of our route to the original post.

This was really a great ski mountaineering tour more than anything else, skiing on and across very moderate glaciers and terrain but with mind-blowing steeps and cliffs and icefalls looming overhead the whole time.


Very cool, Amar.
Which gps unit are you using?

Reply to this TR

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may-25-26-2005-mt-adams-lava-lyman-wilson-rusk
Amar Andalkar
2005-06-01 18:09:21