By the time I got back in the U.S. it was May and volcano corn riding season so Amar Andalkar, Estee and I threw all our gear in his car and started heading south to California.
Our first stop in the road trip was up to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park.
There always needs to be a deep respect for the mountains that surround you. Mountains will always let you know when they will allow you to climb them. This was the case when both Amar Andalkar and I decided it was time to head for the crown of the Cascades, Mt. Rainier. Winds can be a good friend on a hot summer day but they can also be your worst enemy when you are climbing a massive glaciated volcano that hovers over 7,000 feet above the surrounding mountains. Whether being tossed around by the winds or the cool breeze not allowing the snow to soften, it was obvious we would have to wait for the mountain to allow us to ski/ride it.
Amar is the type of person who puts every ounce of energy into whatever he does, so I was all ears when he told me that the forecasts for Mt. Shasta seemed much more favorable then Mt. Rainier’s. We made a group decision to go to the crown of the southern Cascades and ride the east-facing Hotlum Wintum route on Shasta while keeping a close eye on Rainier’s forecast and waiting for the winds to die down. That night we made the nine-hour journey to the base of Shasta. Amar slept in his comfy car while I was maliciously attacked by swarms of mosquitoes in my sleeping bag.
Twenty-four hours after arriving at Sea-Tac international airport I was in a car with Jessie Rowe driving 200 miles south. The plan was to ride Mt. Adams via the Avalanche Glacier Headwall. Being Washington’s second-tallest peak and one of the last places to find steep, smooth corn its a great early Summer descent. With a favorable forecast of two days of back-to-back sunshine we arrived at the Cold Springs campground at the early hour of 11:00 p.m. The parking lot was filled to the brim with climbers, hikers and skiers.
The silence of night was broken by the alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. we resorted to the snooze button for a few extra minutes of sleep. By 6:45, we were slowly moving and packing our bags for a long day. Our plan was to climb Mount Adams southern route before descending the Avalanche Glacier Headwall. From the moment I stepped on the trail, I was blown away by how much snow still lingered in the Cascades. It was the end of July, but felt like early June as we followed a solid path of boot prints. Before long we ditched the trail for a more direct path. The snow was firm as we skinned up, forcing me to use ski crampons. Once on the steeper slopes I switched to cramponing for the final 3,000-foot climb.
Mt Adams is the second largest Volcano in Washington State summiting at 12,276 feet. The standard route is up the non glaciated/technical south ridge which is always lively with activity on the weekends. Our crew consisted of five people Christy, Dustin, Jason and Josh Hummel and I. While normally it would make since to head up Adams in one day we decided to head up at a relaxed pace. Skinning in was uneventful other then the heat radiating from the sun. With a lack of wind our energy and motivation quickly drained away. Soon enough we were on the lower flanks of Adams. We chose to have a base camp somewhat in between the Mazama Glacier and the south ridge. This would reduce weight on the climb and take advantage of a snowless camping spot.
Skinning up the next morning was easy with only a few bare spots. We would have to transfer our skis over the nasty sharp volcanic rocks. By the time we made it up to the lunch counter we were back on the standard route. In front of us we could see people snowshoeing, bootpacking and skinning towards the false summit. Climbing up Pikers Peak we decided to bootpack once the slope became too steep but that never happened.
7/27/09
When at the summit of Crystal Mountain on a clear day there are a few peaks that dominate the southern skyline. The Goat rocks is one of those places that many have seen but few are aware of as its overshadowed by its better known companions Mt Adams and Mt Saint Helens. With huge alpine slopes, rock faces and north facing Glaciers it is a truly unique gem of the Southern Cascade landscape.
Mount Washington is one of the lesser known volcanoes in the Cascade Range. With a summit elevation of 7,795 feet it is the 30th highest peak of prominence. It is known as part of Oregon’s Matterhorns with massive erosion causing it to have a Matterhorn like look. Though questionable most people believe that it is an inactive volcano. The Mountains first summit was on August 26, 1923 by 6 boys from Bend. Mount Washington is located in Central Oregon off Santiam Pass with the nearest ski resort being Hoodoo. It can be accessed from the north by taking State Hwy. 20 to Forest Road 2690 before ending at Big Lake West Campground.
My fourth road trip to the Oregon Cascades started with 30 dollars in my bank account. A few days earlier I had received an email from Buell. He was willing to give me a few days work digging trenches for his business in exchange for some money. Soon enough I was driving south and on my way to Eugene. After two days of digging trenches I was back on the road and heading towards Mount Washington.
Mount Jefferson is the second highest volcano in the Oregon Cascades. With a summit elevation of 10,497 feet and numerous glaciers it offers skiing all year round. Although it’s northern brother is Mount Hood it gets far less traffic. The volcano is separated by Warm Springs Indian Reservation to the East and Mount Jefferson Wilderness to the west. There are 4 different glaciers on the volcano named Whitewater, Jefferson Park, Russell, and Waldo Glaciers. It was originally named Seekseekqua by the Native Americans then Mount Vancouver by the British. The name Mount Jefferson came from the Lewis and Clark expeditions as a thank you to the then president Thomas Jefferson. On average has numerous 6,000 foot descents.
After an eventful day of hiking through a storm on Three fingered Jack I was happy to be back in my car. I was now heading north towards Jefferson Park Wilderness. By now I had visited Oregon four times over the season in an attempt to ride 25 separate volcanoes. Driving over Santiam pass for the sixth and final time this season I noticed that Mount Jefferson was covered in dark clouds. I had hopes that the sun would burn off the clouds as I entered Mount Jefferson wilderness via the White Water road.
The rain slowly misted as I drove up Whitewater Creek and progressed to a downpour as the road gained elevation. Finally I was at the Whitewater Trailhead but the weather was much worse then I had hoped for. My original plan was to camp there so I could get an early start. Instead I decided to camp much lower where it was barely a drizzle.
Broken Top is a 9,177 feet volcano on the southern slopes of Three Sisters Wilderness. Situated between Mount Bachelor and the South Sister it is a popular climbing destination for hikers and mountaineers. The name Broken Top represents the erosion of the stratovolcano which unlike Mount Saint Helens is from glacial erosion. The main access is via the Cascade Lakes Road to the south once plowed out for the summer. During the winter the best way to get in is via the Todd Lake Trailhead.
It started off with a phone call on Saturday afternoon. With more then a week of free time and the hopes of finding good snow it was time to head down to Oregon. Both Jon Garrison and I were soon on our way down to 3 Sisters Wilderness to snowboard Broken Top. We arrived at the Todd Lake trail head junction at 3 A.M. and decided to get a few hours of sleep.
The Wy’East Route on Mount Hood is a great alternative to the Old Chute. The route can be accessed via both Timberline and Mount Hood Meadows. While the first one starts much higher the second has a better fall line run. The descent can be almost 6,000 feet and instead of being a chute the area is a wide open face. Though it is a bit longer day then the main route we found it to be a much better ski line. After a week of riding the volcanoes of Oregon it was time to head up to Mount Hood and ride the Wy’East Route.
After an interesting day on the North Sister we said goodbye to Buell. Both Ari and I were on our way north and decided to ski tour Mt Hood. Our original intention was to climb the Leuthold couloir but being late season we knew its conditions would be bad. I had done the Old Chute the year prior so check out the Wy’East Route instead. We decided that the approach from Meadows would be better then Timberline. Looking at the maps it would be a better fall line and minimal traversing. Being late June we could stay in the snow compared to the long scree climbing.
Leaving the Parking Lot we were happy to find continuous snow from the base of Mount Hood Meadows. From the start we were able to skin all the way up to the top lifts shack. Once past them we were bootpacking on scree with our boards on our packs. Though we were climbing on dirt just to our east was the Wy’East Headwall and what looked to be a perfect ski descent.
The North Sister is a 10,090 foot volcano in Three Sisters Wilderness. Being the oldest of the Three Sisters the last eruption off its slopes was around 46,000 years ago. While the South sister is an active volcano both the North and the Middle are not. The mountain can be accessed from the west via the Obsidian Trailhead and the East via the Pole Creek Trail.
There is a long Native American history of the area as it gave access to Obsidian for arrowheads. The first Westerner to see the Three Sisters was the explorer Peter Skene Ogden from the Hudson Bay Company in 1825. The first recorded ascent of North Sister was made in 1857 by six people which was published in the Overland Monthly in 1870. While most people know it as the North Sister locals have refereed to it as “Faith” for over 100 years. With the Early Morning Couloir looking so aesthetic it was time to go after it on my 3rd trip of the season to Oregon.
