June 7-8, 1975

Mt. Adams Climbing Trip

Timberline Flats
Lunch Counter
Mount Adams: false summit aka Piker’s Peak
Mount Adams aka Klickitat (12,276′)

—————– Trip Report Summary —————–

Region: Southern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Mt. Adams Massif

Area: Mt. Adams Wilderness

Starting & Ending Point: Timberline Road #8040 log blockage at 3600 feet

Way Points: Morrison Creek Campground & Cold Springs Campground & Timberline Campground & Timberline Flats (road walk & snow hike)

Campsite: Timberline Flats

Summit: Mt. Adams (ascent & descent via Crescent Glacier—Lunch Counter—Suksdorf Ridge / South Spur)

Approximate Stats: 20 miles traveled; 8800 feet gained & lost.

—————– Related Posts —————–

Mount Adams via Killen Creek Meadows—North Ridge – September 21, 1997
Mount Adams via Timberline Road—Suksdorf Ridge – June 17, 1984

—————– Full Trip Report —————–

Chet M., Peter V., Don Y., Pete R., Gordon C., Greg J., Don T., and I made an early season climb of the Suksdorf Ridge (aka South Spur) route on Mt. Adams.  We car-camped on Friday night at Wicky Creek Shelter, then drove up Timberline Road the next morning until getting stopped by a large fallen log.

From our parking spot, we had to walk about 7 miles up the road to reach timberline.  Chet, Peter, Don Y., and Pete took skis, as they were planning to ski down the mountain, whereas the rest of us were booting the whole route.  Chet even took climbing skins so that he could ski up the road.

We set up our base camp in Timberline Flats, which offered a nice view of our entire climbing route.

We were on the move the following day shortly after first light, heading up to the Lunch Counter and on up to the false summit (aka Piker’s Peak).

A few of us made the 600-foot ascent from the false summit to the true summit.  A single wooden post—a relic of the former lookout cabin–was sticking out of the summit snow.  What an experience those lookout personnel must have had!

All eight of us got back to base camp with big grins; the ski descent and glissade descent were pretty similar time-wise and fun-wise.  However, the 7-mile descent down the snow-covered road was a different story;  the skiers were easily an hour ahead of us road sloggers!

…

————— Photo Gallery (click to enlarge) —————-