What do you do when you buy your first splitboard but the Utah backcountry riding season is over? You find an awesome partner, pack up a truck, and head to the Cascade Mountains, where backcountry touring is in full swing. That’s just what happened in early July, as my girlfriend Jess and I made a pilgrimage to Mount Adams, WA, to get in some very late season turns.
A short while ago, I mentioned on this very site that I am not a backcountry snowboarder. Well, I’m glad to say that things have changed in a hurry; this season I finally bought the must-have safety gear, took an avalanche class, got out into the resort sidecountry, and even took my first proper tour in the Wasatch. Trekking a few miles on snowshoes was no fun with a board strapped to my pack, so I scraped together the cash for my first splitboard setup. Now to test it out!
My amazing lady friend suggested we take a vacation to the Pacific Northwest. Delicious craft beer, trendy restaurants and backcountry riding would all be on the menu. The Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington hold snow late into the summer, so taking a legit tour would be no trouble. Our objective: Mount Adams. At 12,276’ it’s the third tallest in this range of volcanic mountains. We stopped at the ranger station in Trout Lake where we secured our Cascades Volcano Passes (necessary for climbing Mount Adams). The passes cost $15 for a weekend and $10 for a weekday. We were informed that 80 passes had been issued for the day of our tour, which seemed like a lot until they told us that 300 had been issued the day before! Seems like we weren’t the only people who thought this was a good vacation idea.
Our tour began early…4am, to be exact. The South Climb route (the easiest and most popular for this time of year) is 5.7 miles long and climbs 6,676’ to the summit. Ouch! From the trailhead near Cold Springs Campground we hiked over dirt and rock before reaching the snowline about 2 miles later. We strapped in and began skinning, but found that this was to be short lived. Thanks to an early melt-off, the skin track was pretty much gone, and the steep slopes demanded a lot of bootpacking. Too much bootpacking; I estimate that we walked up about 2/3 of the mountain!
The South Climb route ascends through Crescent Glacier, then on to the Lunch Counter. This is a popular area for those who want to spend a night on the mountain before tagging the peak. From Lunch Counter we skinned to the base of Piker’s Peak, which is a false summit. False my ass! We bootpacked straight up Piker’s for what seemed an eternity, battling blazing sun, 70 degree temps and a bevy of other mountaineers. Luckily there was a good trail in place, which eased some of the burden.
When we reached the top of Piker’s Peak, the summit looked nasty. The wind was whipping up to 40MPH gusts, and cloud cover was moving in. Jess and I made the executive decision to shred what was below us, peak bagging be damned. I strapped into my splitboard for the first time ever and whooped my way down the steep face. The snow was heavy, but we didn’t care. We relished every turn in the sunshine. This was the latest in the season I have ever ridden snow, and the 5,000’ was the most vert I ever got out of a single run. We zoomed by people descending on foot, and I have to say that their envious looks brought a smile to my face.
I’d have to rate my first splitboarding experience a great one. Sure, the snow left something to be desired, and I sure wish we could have skinned more of the mountain, but hell, snowboarding in July? I’ll take it. I highly recommend Mount Adams for anyone looking to keep the snow party going after hours. The scenery in the Cascade Mountains is outstanding, and the peaks are mighty impressive. They won’t supplant the Wasatch in my heart any time soon, but it was fun to see what another western state has to offer in the way of outdoor fun.
Here are some of the specifics if you plan to make a journey to Mount Adams:
Cascades Volcano Pass is mandatory for those climbing above 7,000’ on Mt. Adams. Pay for them at the Trout Lake ranger station in person, or submit an envelope with cash at the same location.
The South Climb Trail #183 is the easiest and most popular route to the summit. The hike begins near the Cold Springs Campground at the end of Forest Road 8040500. Camping at this area is free and there are two pit toilets available. During prime season (May-July) this campsite is crowded: up to 300 guests on a weekend night is the norm!
An ice ax and crampons are useful for the climb up, but we found during our trip that we didn’t need them. Check with the ranger station for the latest mountain conditions, or check out this website for loads of helpful info:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/giffordpinchot/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=fsbdev3_005104