- Posts: 1230
- Thank you received: 0
Ski Mt Adams?
- Marcus
-
- User
-
Less
More
18 years 1 week ago #180896
by Marcus
Replied by Marcus on topic Re: Ski Mt Adams?
We booted it when we were up there, since the bootpack was so well established. One fella skinned it, but the last few kick turns were pretty steep and I think he might have bailed into the boot pack. SW Chutes is a beautiful ski, but the main run would be really nice as well.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Jason_H.
-
- User
-
Less
More
- Posts: 276
- Thank you received: 0
18 years 1 week ago #180900
by Jason_H.
Replied by Jason_H. on topic Re: Ski Mt Adams?
Late June, early july is the best time to climb/ski!
In fact, last time I was up there, I took my 8 or 9-yr old niece to the top to ski it. Although, she hiked down the top of the s ridge because it was late and very icy, but she skied everything else.
Anyhow, under most conditions the s side is consistantly fun (the summit gets wind scoured sometimes and can make for poor skiing conditions). Out of all the nw volcanoes, the s route is the best beginner ski off a summit.
Have fun. Be sure to pick an 80+ degree weekend. You don't want to go if it is going to be 60 degrees. You want that snow to soften.
In fact, last time I was up there, I took my 8 or 9-yr old niece to the top to ski it. Although, she hiked down the top of the s ridge because it was late and very icy, but she skied everything else.
Anyhow, under most conditions the s side is consistantly fun (the summit gets wind scoured sometimes and can make for poor skiing conditions). Out of all the nw volcanoes, the s route is the best beginner ski off a summit.
Have fun. Be sure to pick an 80+ degree weekend. You don't want to go if it is going to be 60 degrees. You want that snow to soften.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Rusty Knees
-
- User
-
Less
More
- Posts: 314
- Thank you received: 0
18 years 1 week ago #180913
by Rusty Knees
Replied by Rusty Knees on topic Re: Ski Mt Adams?
Last June 30/July 1, I booted (crampons) up the South Ridge to the top. Very hard, frozen surface. The top was covered by the prettiest waves of ice rime, but too crunchy for my rubbery legs to handle. I gave up and hiked back down to the false summit. Skied the south face from False Summit down to our camp at about 8000 ft and it was amazingly good, soft corn in the afternoon. I had a blast. The weekend was a HOT one down low, which others have mentioned, is a key. I think the top of the false summit is steeper than 30. Maybe almost 40? But it gets gentler quickly.
Let me know when you plan to go - I'd do it again for sure.
Let me know when you plan to go - I'd do it again for sure.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- JMor
-
- User
-
Less
More
- Posts: 178
- Thank you received: 0
18 years 6 days ago #180914
by JMor
Replied by JMor on topic Re: Ski Mt Adams?
The false summit, south climb/ski is a good one. SW chutes are awesome with the right conditions as mentioned above. Skiing the main south climb can sometimes be tracked out with glasside tacks and boot tracks. If you ski skier left after the top steep section, you will find some very nice untracked great skiing
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- ron j
-
- User
-
Less
More
- Posts: 1089
- Thank you received: 0
18 years 6 days ago #180915
by ron j
Replied by ron j on topic Re: Ski Mt Adams?
Yeah, Rusty's pretty much on target.
And the MadDog right about that "stash" to the left. Just don't go so far left that you ski off onto the icefalls of the Mazama Gl
.
We've skinned Suksdorf Ridge once when the conditions were just right and booted it more times than I care to remember.
My recollection is that the top 100 or so feet of that pitch (which tops out at about 11,500) is right at 40 degrees (steeper skiers left; a tad less to the right) then runs 30-35 for a thousand feet or so until it starts to mellow out approaching the lunch counter. A 30-35 degree pitch is usually a black diamond run at most of the ski areas around here.
The SW Chutes (which also begin at about 11,500) maintains about a 30-35 degree angle down to about 8,000, then rolls around a bit to the natural exit notch at 7,000. From there we've found that it's best to either drop straight down the fall line to the RTM trail or else cut hard left out of the notch and stay high left (possibly even climbing a tad to stay up out of the trees and rougher terrain) to cross a couple of ridges and pick up the south climb trail below the Crescent Glacier.
Any attempts we've made to contour somewhere in between those two exit routes have resulted in racking up tons of torture points with brutal multiple crossings of deep and steep washes that make you wish you had a rope along. Of course if it was all under 10 or 20 feet of snow then it would be a simple ski traverse, but that isn't likely to happen if you wait for the access road to open to vehicular traffic. We've done the "high left" exit totally on skis before (and no skinning) and skied clear back to Cold Springs. When exiting straight down the fall line drainage below the exit notch we have always had to load up at the RTM trail or before.
The advice above to "wait for a hot day" is more important than it sounds at first blush, at least from a skier's perspective. Boilerplate on the south rib or the the SW Chutes makes for great climber cramponing but turns a great ski run into a "you fall you die" line where you will slide two to four thousand feet if you don't arrest a fall instantaneously.
We have turned around half way up Suksdorf Ridge when the sky turned over cast and the snow started to refreeze. Of course the old folks that I tend to hang with climb to ski, not to necessarily summit. A summiter might be loath to that.
That's about all the pointers I can think of for now to help make a southside Adams foray more enjoyable.
Be sure and post a trip report when you go to let the rest of us know what access, trail and snow conditions are like.
And have a great and safe trip!!
And the MadDog right about that "stash" to the left. Just don't go so far left that you ski off onto the icefalls of the Mazama Gl
We've skinned Suksdorf Ridge once when the conditions were just right and booted it more times than I care to remember.
My recollection is that the top 100 or so feet of that pitch (which tops out at about 11,500) is right at 40 degrees (steeper skiers left; a tad less to the right) then runs 30-35 for a thousand feet or so until it starts to mellow out approaching the lunch counter. A 30-35 degree pitch is usually a black diamond run at most of the ski areas around here.
The SW Chutes (which also begin at about 11,500) maintains about a 30-35 degree angle down to about 8,000, then rolls around a bit to the natural exit notch at 7,000. From there we've found that it's best to either drop straight down the fall line to the RTM trail or else cut hard left out of the notch and stay high left (possibly even climbing a tad to stay up out of the trees and rougher terrain) to cross a couple of ridges and pick up the south climb trail below the Crescent Glacier.
Any attempts we've made to contour somewhere in between those two exit routes have resulted in racking up tons of torture points with brutal multiple crossings of deep and steep washes that make you wish you had a rope along. Of course if it was all under 10 or 20 feet of snow then it would be a simple ski traverse, but that isn't likely to happen if you wait for the access road to open to vehicular traffic. We've done the "high left" exit totally on skis before (and no skinning) and skied clear back to Cold Springs. When exiting straight down the fall line drainage below the exit notch we have always had to load up at the RTM trail or before.
The advice above to "wait for a hot day" is more important than it sounds at first blush, at least from a skier's perspective. Boilerplate on the south rib or the the SW Chutes makes for great climber cramponing but turns a great ski run into a "you fall you die" line where you will slide two to four thousand feet if you don't arrest a fall instantaneously.
We have turned around half way up Suksdorf Ridge when the sky turned over cast and the snow started to refreeze. Of course the old folks that I tend to hang with climb to ski, not to necessarily summit. A summiter might be loath to that.
That's about all the pointers I can think of for now to help make a southside Adams foray more enjoyable.
Be sure and post a trip report when you go to let the rest of us know what access, trail and snow conditions are like.
And have a great and safe trip!!
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.