Mt Adams June 22, 2013

Mt Adams looking all majestic like and stuff

 I am le tired, I think I'll take a nap.



Trying to get after it, work a normal 9-5 job, AND maintain somewhat of a social life with non-mountain friends can prove quite difficult.  This weekend exemplified that.
Jim was set on nabbing Mt. Adams, he had been up three times and not made it to the true summit for some reason each time.  This sounded like a great plan to me, but there was one problem.  I had a birthday party to make Friday night and Mt. Adams is a 5 and a half hour drive from Seattle.  Considering it was a 30th bday I decided that it was important to make both.  So I went out in Seattle, had some drinks and diner, and left at about 10pm.  I had not printed directions to Mt. Adams, I had never been there before, and Jim surely would not have service at the trailhead........what could go wrong!?
I picked up some redbull at a gas station along the way, went east along the Columbia River under a full moon.  I got to the ranger station in Trout Lake at about 2:30am, to my surprise there were two other climbers also getting their permits.  I guess I'm not the only one with a stupid amount of determination.

I really wish that I had of followed them, or at least asked if they knew the right road, because this is where keeping it real went wrong.  I decided to follow the directions on google maps from my phone.  Instead of leading me on the somewhat maintained gravel road that runs straight up to the Cold Spring Campground I went east. Then north, then west, then east, then god knows where.  Here I was at 3am in the middle of the woods on what appeared to be an abandoned logging road only frequented by deer, nearly completely lost.  Finally I found an overgrown entrance to an even more abandoned road that went west.  Somehow the little outback that could made it through all this and I got a view of the mountain under a full moon through the burnt out forest.  That was simply breathtaking, you'll have to believe me because my phone could not do it justice.
I rolled up near the trail head at about 3:30 to a cars and tents strewn everywhere like a bomb went off, picked a spot as close to Jim's car as I could get, and proceeded to pass out in the back of my car.  5:30am came far too quickly.  My head hurt, my back hurt, and I generally did not want to move.  Someone please remind me that I'm 32 and not 18 the next time I come up with these stupid plans.

With a weather forecast all over the place and not knowing the snow conditions we overpacked, t-shirts, merino wool, puffy, shells, boot crampons, skins, etc..  So much for "fast and light," this was going to be a "kinda heavy and moderately mediocre" day.

Move along folks, there is nothing to see here

We actually ended up making pretty decent progress, wearing our trail runners all the way up to the "lunch counter" at around 9,200 feet.  From there we switched to snowboard boots as the snow softened, I took a caffeine pill and ate some food also.  I was so tired that I was yawning while hiking at this point.  Things only became bleak from there for me.  As we continued up Suksdorf Ridge toward the false summit the bone spur on my right heel started to get a painful amount of pressure.  The boot pack from the mountaineers in crampons angled slightly downhill, unlike skier steps, so flexing my boot forward was jamming my heel badly.  My energy level continued to dwindle, motivation was failing me, and I was bonking hard.  Why does the last pitch have to be so damned steep!?  The thought of a turkey and bacon sandwich was the only reward keeping me going.
Eventually I made it up to the false summit (Pikers Peak @ 11,600 feet) and took off those god forsaken snowboard boots.

The bastard true summit of 12,276' taunting me 

While Jim went on touring for the true summit I decided to crash.  I laid out a bed with my board, pack, and shovel blade.  Threw on my down and made a canopy out of my shell and ski poles.  After eating half my sandwich (with questionable condiment temperatures) I proceeded to pass out for an hour.  I woke up reinvigorated with a stomach churning from a sandwich that probably was not fit for consumption animals.  I also helped encourage other hikers.

"you guys are almost there!"
"YOU ARE AT THE SUMMIT!?"
"no this is the false summit"
"$(&@(&#!@(!@#(!@#(!@&#!@(#!(#!(@"

The SW chutes

When Jim got down from a craptastic summit ride we geared up and looked down to see clouds socking in around 7k.  We decided to take the climbing route instead of the SW chutes in case the cloud cover became worse.  Bad choice.
The snow on the climbing route was a mix of sticky, slick, ice, and just generally strange riding.  Down low we found some splendid sun cups.

Some like it dirty.

Once off the snow I was glad to get my trail runners on and get back toward the car.  I was HUNGRY.  We passed through the burnt out forest on the way, somewhat eerie to be in.

Back at the car much food was consumed and much cursing of that false summit was made.  I made the drive back to Seattle direct, with the help of redbull, by 1am.  I proceeded to sleep until 2pm on Sunday.

Until next time, you bastard.