July 1, 2005, Mt Adams - SW Chutes

It was a chilly morning at 4am in the Cold Springs campground.  Cold enough that I got back into my bag and slept for another hour.  Thanks to packing the night before I was hiking a quarter after.  It was already light enough out to ditch the head lamp.  The cool breeze made the hike comfy.  I switched to boots just before the short climb to gain the ridge near the Cresent Glacier.  There is still some slopes to carve in this area but it's melting fast.  On the ridge is where I first encountered continuous snow.  Time to skin.  Nope frozen solid suncups.  Okay its barely 8 and the snow has some softening to do.  I took a nap in one of the rock shelters.  When I woke shortly after 9 the snow was still firm.  What the heck I just humped it out on the boot pack thinking to myself shouda packed the regular board instead of the split.  The pack would have weighed next to nothing but then again I proly would have found something else to taken its place. :D

By 10am I was at the base of Pikers gazing at the final obstacle that still lay before me.  A break for water and munchies ensued.  Well at least the snow was finally starting to soften so that was good news.  I strapped on my crampons and with my poles put one foot in front of the other for a while.  For motivation there was a couple of nice lines carved climbers left.  By noon I was at the top.  Snow surface thus far on the climb route had first few inches softening in most areas.  Some sections still remained icy.  Time for a power nap.  After putting on all my layers and mitts I used my splitboard as a bed for 40 or so minutes.  I awoke to the same winds and no change in the snow surface.  I didn't think the temps were going to warm anymore so it was time to go.  I did found out back at the car that a couple who skied the south route said at 3pm it was still windy and crusty.

I dropped the chute at 1pm in crusty snow conditions.  With one collapsed pole in hand I made cautious turns while traversing high right into the middle chute.  Here the top 2 inches or so softened up nicely on top of a bomber smooth base.  The further I decsended the creamier the snow got.  However only the top few inches remained soft.  No boot deep butta to carve like last time.  From what I observed it looked like some slide activity, within the week, in the chute nearly 3/4's down.  Most of them just strips of snow near rocks but running a good distance.  Anyway it kinda destroyed the bottom part of the run.  I followed a ribbon of unblemished snow boarders left where it starts to steepen.  This portion of the run was most interesting.  Minor suncups with a hint of dirt and mini craters to carve around.  I was able to patch a run together down to the pond around 7000ft but that was pretty much it.  Below this patches of snow remained scattered about but none worth my effort.  Maybe others though. ;D

I followed the drainage out to the RMT and was on my way.  At the Timberline camp I was like man that portion of the RMT does more climbing than descending. >:(  Hump on.  I reached the car by 3pm where I ate and relaxed before deciding to head to Mt Hood for some well deserved lift served with some buddies for the remainder. ;D