July 9, 2006, Mt. Adams, south ridge

Two of my sons, Joe and Peter, joined me for a one-day trip up Mt. Adams.  We left Cold Springs campground at 5:30 a.m. and slogged up the south ridge route to the summit, arriving just before 1:00 p.m.  Since they were carrying heavy downhill skis and boots, and I lightweight AT gear, I should have been leading the way.  Youth and energy prevailed over experience, and I did the following. 
It was their first trip up Adams, so we skied down the standard south ridge route.  From the summit to Piker€™s Peak, we stayed east of the up track.  While this was an improvement over the westerly up track, the sun cups here were the largest we experienced on the trip, though still very skiable. 
From Piker€™s Peak to the base of the Crescent Glacier, the sun had warmed the snow so it was heavy, but not slushy.  The best snow was on the steeper slopes near the Crescent Glacier.  Suncups and runnels were minimal, a great improvement over my first trip up Adams in July 2003.  We were able to ski down to about 6,400 feet.  Joe took most of the photos, and yielded more good skiing shots in one trip than I have taken over the last several years.   
Wonderful weather, great company, skiing in July.  Who could ask for more?