July 6, 2003, Mt. Adams, S Climb (Suncup Festival)

ouch, that bad huh? so are the s.w. chutes cupped now too? at what elevation does it become unpleasureable do you think??? ???

Yeah, Toby. I would not recommend the S Climb unless something changes it (like a lot of heat or new snow). Suncups, runnels, glissade trenches, and postholes, .. the works.
On our ascent we spoke to a boarder, who was walking down, who had done both the S Climb and SW Chutes the previous two days. He said the sun-cupping had come on quickly and strong. I suspect the upper part of the SW Chutes will be OK for a while (it was my partner's first visit to Adams and he wanted to do the S Climb.)
The S Climb was nasty from the false summit down, with a few hundred vertical feet (out of 65 hundred) of exceptions.

Is it really that bad? I've been planning to do the southside this weekend for the past two months, your report is a significant disappointment. Would you recommend I cancel my plans? Can you quantify how bad the suncups are?

Thanks,

Gaper Jeffey

"It's not easy being a backcountry gaper" - Me

For what little it's worth, the first time I did Adams, several years ago, it was late July and the suncups had actually gotten so large that believe it or not, they were kind of fun - like a field of reverse moguls. YMMV.

Wow, what's next, neve penitentes in the Cascades? ???

I don't wear hair shirts or flagellate, and those huge sun cups really *were* fun (on skinny Karhu Extremes, yet)! They were almost as big as the dents an inverted VW beetle might leave, so it was sort of a terrain park sort of experience. Sounds like as of last weekend, the south climb was more in the "heinous" state, but of course one man's pain is another's pleasure...

I was also on Adams on July 6 for a solo trip up to the summit and down the SW chutes.  I completely agree that the south climb is not really worth skiing at this time.  The SW chutes were still in very good condition as of 7/6.  After a 4 am start from Cold Springs, I reached the summit at 1000.  I started down from the summit at 1030 and down the chutes at about 1100.  The only other creatures over there besides me  were a couple of mountain goats that I almost skied into as they crossed the snow.  I wouldn't do the chutes any later in the day.  The top was still firm but the bottom was getting soft.  They will probably be in shape for another week or two.  The chutes are a truly amazing run.  I wouldn't take any other way down!