Mt Adams, Adams Glacier Route ­ July 3-6, 2002
GUITY PARTY:     Rick Rogers, Angie Vandenhaak, and Brian Heinrich
By:             Brian Heinrich
Our trip began the day before the 4th of July with the much-anticipated drive down I-5 to Chehalis and points beyond. As we didn't leave the Rogers compound until about 7pm, we figured we would be sleeping along Highway 12. Our plan was on the money as we tired out somewhere near Riffe Reservoir and found a patch of mostly flat ground just off the highway. While it was late and we were tired, the night proved to be somewhat sleepless as old pick-ups with either no muffler or very loud ones, conveniently drove by about every hour. The added bonus was the conversation between a mama cow and her lost calf. Some discussion was had on whether said cows were drawing out Rogers for a reunion.

Onto Independence Day which found us at the Adams-St. Helens diner (or is the St. Helens-Adams diner?) and a gigantic breakfast that would cause me no amount of discomfort later in the trip. We made the gesture of driving by the Ranger Station and were shocked to find that they were indeed open. After dropping $45 on ³volcano permits² and an additional $5 on a mostly useless map we were merrily on our way. Word to the wise: don't ask complicated ³climbing² questions or anything relating to the condition of a ³trail² at the Ranger Station. It seems our friendly Forest Service is mainly concerned with the cutting of the forest, rather than silly recreational opportunities afforded withinŠand yet, I digressŠ

The weather gods treated us to rain just as we hit the trailhead. In a moment of snap decision making we headed unimpeded onto the restricted Yakima Reservation and Eastern Washington to feel the warmth of the sun and to pack up. After a short hour-long visit we were encouraged to leave the reservation by the clearing skies and a couple of hunters.

Just prior to our departure from the trailhead we were ambushed by three Yakima residents who intended to climb the same route and another rough bunch that was packing beer. We tried in vain to befriend the latter. Having no such luck we hit the trail and were soon passed by the irritatingly cheery Yakimonians who were nothing short of a walking GPS billboard. They could positively move with only the aid of oh-so-many former and current Defense Department satellites.

A fantastic campsite was afforded us at about 7100 feet and soon after setting camp the clouds parted from the mountain and we had a front row seat of our objective. The Adams Glacier route is, oddly, a route up the glacier. Roughly 3000ft of sustained 40-50 degree ice/snow with some route finding problems, crevasse avoidance and good times. Up early the next day we made the approach to the foot of the glacier roped up and proceeded to pick our line which already had the Yakimonians scurrying up it in style. Prior to this, I developed some sort of stomach/intestine problem that would cause us to be slow and me to be no more than rope weight for the other two. This became more and more apparent the higher we went and after the first few pitches I was positively worthless. However, it was a sight to behold as Angie kept the rope team together and turned in the most outstanding climbing performance I've ever witnessed and Rick managed to pick a solid line, with or without the incessant Yakimonian presence.

We took two ice screws and five pickets and with three on the rope we were able to do running belays the entire time. Actual time on the glacier was 5 _ hours, which put us on top at 2pm. There were several difficult sections that were hard to cross, as the crevasses were gigantic. There was almost no icefall or rockfall from the neighboring cliffs, but we were fortunate to have had a cold night before the climb. We made the descent down the northeast ridge that keeps giving and giving. We were back at camp by 6pmŠa mere 12 hours after we left.

We stayed another night at the campsite that afforded great views of St. Helens and Rainier. It's probably worth taking the trip just for the camping, an absolutely beautiful high alpine setting with plenty of water and quality campsites. The Adams Glacier Route is a great trip that is ideal for a group of three with a challenging climb and an ideal setting.