Hood-Adams-Rainier 7/4-8/07

This is a short intro to more detailed accounts and pictures of each mountain coming soon (after some photo editing). No big summits, but a good bit of skiing, and lots of great scenery (and driving!).

Cut to the chase ski conditions report: Stay north. South side of Hood looked dirty and the Snowdome is getting funky fast, north side of Adams is gone, Rainier is still great.

I left Lake Stevens late morning of the 4th heading for Hood. I took the scenic route down 97 on the east side of the mountains (I hate I5) and hit Cloudcap campground  in time to get some nice sunset pictures. The next day I skied the Snowdome after chickening out on the top slope of the Sunshine rt. Great snow for about 1,000 ft. (I did a second lap there), funky ice under slush spots higher, getting runneled lower. Swam in Trillium Lk and camped back up near the pass.

I knew that FS road 23 north from Trout Lake had been closed, but hoped they had opened it. I asked at a couple places in Hood River, but they didn't know and the info place across the river was closed, so I hoped for the best. Had a beautiful drive up to the ranger station where I registered and found that I had a long drive back around to get to Killen Creek. I had a book on CD that kept me occupied and I was in no hurry, so I went with the flow and arrived at the trail head just in time to meet Jason Hummel on his way out from his scary descent of the NW ridge. His beta convinced me my goal of Lava ridge wasn't worth it, so I packed light for a photo expedition and hiked fast through the buggy forest to the beautiful high meadows where I camped and photographed.

I hiked out and drove to Packwood for a burger (long bumpy dirt road - it would have been better to go back to Randal on better FS roads, then head up the highway to Packwood). The clueless ranger at the forest service station in Randal had told me that the Stevens Canyon road to Paradise was open (he'd also told me there was continuous snow a few hundred feet elevation above the Killen creek trail head) so I drove up there to find it closed. It was only 7 miles back to Packwood where I turned north on 52 for a beautiful drive (all paved) across to the Nisqually entrance to the park. I parked at Reflection Lake and headed up looking for some snow around Pinnacle Peak. Thought I was on a wild goose chase until I came around the corner and saw the gully between Pinnacle and Plummer was still filled in from the top with good snow. I got the best turns of the trip down the steep entrance slot, then enjoyed the ~700 ft. descent in one go. The hike back up was easy in the soft evening snow. I scrambled up to tag the summit of Pinnacle and almost backed off the top bit that seemed a bit exposed and tricky in my rando boots, but summoned the old rock climber in me and made it up and down slow and careful.

The next morning I headed up to Muir and was glad to meet my buddy Jon hanging out there. We skied the Nisqually chute and found much better conditions than expected from the distant views. Thanks to the two skiers who had just run it - your turns smoothed the top pitch like grooming machines. We cut skiers right across some rocks to drop down the big scoop, which was quite good.

Meeting Jon was great so I could get a few skiing shots from the trip, but the cold beer he had in the car (I'd had my last one with dinner the night before) and the homemade gourmet BBQ pork sandwich he split with me was even better!

Now I've got some work to do editing the hundreds of photos (the bane and boon of digital experimentation). More shots later.