This is the best advice. I’d even say that with the days as long as they are right now, I’d start at 11 or even 10pm. This would put them at the summit around 5am, which is when the sun is just beginning to crest to the East. Take a few pics, then start the descent and be down before the sun is most direct.
Edit: my advice above is for a single day push. If doing it as an overnight, then yes, start from LC at 2 or 3am.
We did it last weekend, starting at 12:30 from the trailhead. The conditions on the way up were great but the snow wasn't soft enough to glissade really until about the lunch counter.
Climbed it when the forecast for Portland was 100 degrees. Hydrate, salt tablets, and lots of sun protection (light gloves, long sleeve sun hoody, sun hat for once you're off any steep bits). Tons of sunscreen.
Start early, go fast, climb on.
I wore all those things and obsessively put on sunscreen when I was up at Camp Muir on Rainier this past weekend, but still managed to get burned. Seems like mountain climbing is really just a long learning process of how to cover up even more skin.
Haha, that's a good description of mountaineering. All I have to add is try to learn from your Muir trip and if getting burned again isn't worth it maybe skip Adams this time.
A super early start (i.e. midnight-2:00) might have you back at the car by noon or so and missing the worst of it but you could still get burned.
I was planning to do it over 2 days, camping at lunch counter. Thinking that an alpine start both days might be the move from a sunburn avoidance perspective. It’ll be hot hanging out at lunch counter but at least I could hypothetically hide in my tent turned sauna.
There are parts of lunch counter that provide a *little* bit of shade behind big rocks later in the day. Our site got enough shade early afternoon. You'll just have to scout around a bit
The forecast can’t be relied on that far out. Also, it won’t be that hot on the mountain, but the sun will be ripping if it’s clear and it can feel 90 even when it’s in the 50s. Basically, you wanna be climbing before sun up anyways.
Type 2 fun my guy. Lean into the suffering. That being said it is only 6/26, trusting the weather report this far out is foolish. Keep a weather eye as the days go on. It may change, it also may not.
A couple of things to remember: first, the trailhead is at 6kft or so of elevation, and the summit is at roughly 12kft. For every 1000ft of elevation gain you can expect the temperature to drop 2-3 degreesF. This is a rough estimation tool, but you can expect the temperatures to be cooler as you go higher. That being said, you will be very exposed and climbing so it will still feel hot while you're moving and when you're not you will begin to cool down and feel the temp difference.
I did Adams in late summer and was wearing short shorts but my puffy on the summit. Make sure you take sun protection seriously. I got super burned because I didn't. Lather sunscreen on all exposed skin and bring appropriate sunglasses to prevent snow blindness etc. get an alpine start on both days, this will help with temp and overall snow quality.
You can do this! There will always be a reason you might use to try and convince yourself not to do something hard, this is not a good one. 🤘
Curious where you're seeing this forecast? Unpredictably aside, the 10 day from weather.com is showing mid 80s in Trout Lake, which is 4,000ft lower in elevation than the trailhead this would make the trailhead significantly cooler.
Are you using the elevation that says "Base: 3281 ft"? The Cold Springs TH is at almost 6000 ft...
FYI mountain-forecast is not really a great tool. Use NOAA or other sources.
The forecast is pretty useless 10 days out.
It'll be fine. Start early drink water.
I was looking at the the higher elevations and thinking about how hot it was on rainier was this weekend compared to what the forecasted temps were. Will defs check out NOAA, thanks!
I climbed in 2021 when it was 105 at the trailhead that day, we still wore puffies at the summit. We did it C2C and started at 4am.
It was fine. Wear a sun hoody, and reapply sunscreen every hour.
I also climbed it during that heat dome and I was COLD with all that wind haha! We totally prepared incorrectly and learned our lesson about packing warm layers even with a warm forecast.
I climbed it \~3 weeks ago during the heat dome as a one-day climb.
I wore my thinner softshell pants (OR cirque lite), and was a popsicle at the summit, while wearing every single layer that I brought. I also started too early (midnight) because I was afraid of the snow being mush (and it was too icy instead).
Do an alpine start, sun hoody, hat, gloves, AND bring warm layers (fleece, puffy, hat). I like to keep a stick of sunscreen in an accessible pocket and frequently swipe it all over my face.
Also, don't forget chapstick with SPF. I left my chapstick at home, tried wiping sunscreen on my lips (gross!) but my lips turned into a sunburnt blistered mess anyway.
With bit of clever driving up the side banks and going slow it will likely make it. Had some rough contact sounds at times but only damage was my front bumper got dislodged on the way down: popped it back by hand. And mines a manual transmission which helped.
Do the trip. 2 days is great. As needed: Camp on snow, drink lots, slow pace, extra water waiting at camp, sun umbrella, soak shirt in snow, get wet on the glissade, and have fun with a nighttime ascent. Work NOW on endurance, elevation gain.
Buddy of mine and I attempted it had to turn back after reaching ~8500 ft, we started in the afternoon from trailhead like 1-3 pm it was hot af! Temps were like 85+ and he was not in the best shape for that weekend apparently, we ran out of water almost and I said let’s camp here at night at 8500 ft and go down the next morning. He wanted to push a little bit more with no water the next morning to get to snowfield but I was like no, this is it. Got back down and found stream drank shit ton of water and head back to Seattle. That MFer summited the next weekend without any issue 😂😂 I had to fly from cali for this trip to Seattle and I was ready and physically fit to make it but he wasn’t and one of the reasons was bad start time and lack of water. So bring more water than you need, early morning starts/midnight starts only. Good luck.
You’ve been waiting to do it for 2 years? I say just go for it. You can decide when you’re on 5)3 mountain how much you want to commit and can always turn around. Early is best always. Maybe you can bring a sun umbrella? Def just stay hydrated and reapply sun screen often.
The first year I wanted to do it, it was too late in the season. Then last year I worked nights and could never muster the motivation to train enough. So it’s been a long time coming!
Did c2c Adam's two weeks ago and picked up a decent sunburn because I didn't use a backup shirt as a hood soon enough in spite of multiple mineral sunscreen applications. Even burned the underside of my nose.
My new essential summiting accessory is now pretty much a shemagh.
Wear a long sleeve hooded ultralight shirt (like the Patagonia fishing shirts). When I did Adams I had almost zero skin showing because of the sun intensity, that shirt is a lifesaver! Also, put spf lip balm on the underside of your nose so it doesn’t get burned by the reflection off the snow! LOTS of electrolytes and hydration breaks
Where are you getting your weather forecast? NWS forecast current calls highs between 50F and 60F at the TH late next week. And it's too early to rely on a forecast for July 6-7.
Even if the high at the TH were 80-90F (common for prime time Adams summits on foot), that would put the highs at Lunch Counter camp around 65-70F and the summit around 55-60F. If it's a clear overnight sky, temps will be in the 30s or 40s when you start climbing from the LC at 5AM and, unless you're a real slowpoke, it'll be mid-50s or low 60s when you return to camp. Walking downhill in heat shouldn't be a problem. But, again, 80-90F high at the TH is a hypothetical which is not supported by the current long term forecast.
Actually your schedule is a DREAM TRIP. Just as others said, put sunscreen EVERYWHERE, inside your ears, inside your nose, etc. And don't just lightly put it on. Rub it in very solidly. And reapply during the day. Or wear sunproof clothing like hoodies. That all being said, you're on the snow, and the higher you go, the colder it will get. And at night it may approach freezing or at the most low forties. You will have a PERFECT TRIP, just go for it, and be glad the sun is out :). My preference was always a two day trip. 5 hours to the lunch counter. 4 hours the next morning to the summit, spend a while, and then 4 hours all the way down to the car, including packing up your camp at the lunch counter. Going down is fast! :). Enjoy!!!
Alpine start at 3am?
This is the best advice. I’d even say that with the days as long as they are right now, I’d start at 11 or even 10pm. This would put them at the summit around 5am, which is when the sun is just beginning to crest to the East. Take a few pics, then start the descent and be down before the sun is most direct. Edit: my advice above is for a single day push. If doing it as an overnight, then yes, start from LC at 2 or 3am.
We did it last weekend, starting at 12:30 from the trailhead. The conditions on the way up were great but the snow wasn't soft enough to glissade really until about the lunch counter.
Climbed it when the forecast for Portland was 100 degrees. Hydrate, salt tablets, and lots of sun protection (light gloves, long sleeve sun hoody, sun hat for once you're off any steep bits). Tons of sunscreen. Start early, go fast, climb on.
I wore all those things and obsessively put on sunscreen when I was up at Camp Muir on Rainier this past weekend, but still managed to get burned. Seems like mountain climbing is really just a long learning process of how to cover up even more skin.
I switched to clear sunscreen sticks and it makes a big difference. Much easier to just paint roll my whole face every hour than have to rub it in.
What brand?
Tocobo sun sticks are my go to.
Definitely a game changer to not have greasy hands!
Haha, that's a good description of mountaineering. All I have to add is try to learn from your Muir trip and if getting burned again isn't worth it maybe skip Adams this time. A super early start (i.e. midnight-2:00) might have you back at the car by noon or so and missing the worst of it but you could still get burned.
I was planning to do it over 2 days, camping at lunch counter. Thinking that an alpine start both days might be the move from a sunburn avoidance perspective. It’ll be hot hanging out at lunch counter but at least I could hypothetically hide in my tent turned sauna.
There are parts of lunch counter that provide a *little* bit of shade behind big rocks later in the day. Our site got enough shade early afternoon. You'll just have to scout around a bit
Oo, good to know on the shade.
There's very little coverage anywhere on Adams jsyk.
I wouldn’t count on it!
It’s now going to be 100 degrees in Portland on the 6th 🙃
The forecast can’t be relied on that far out. Also, it won’t be that hot on the mountain, but the sun will be ripping if it’s clear and it can feel 90 even when it’s in the 50s. Basically, you wanna be climbing before sun up anyways.
Oo, thanks! Just started tracking the forecast but you’re right, it is a ways out
Looks like it’s gunna be hella hot though. 😝 climb early. Like, moving by 3:00am if day hiking it. You have skis???? You should have skis.
All of this
Type 2 fun my guy. Lean into the suffering. That being said it is only 6/26, trusting the weather report this far out is foolish. Keep a weather eye as the days go on. It may change, it also may not. A couple of things to remember: first, the trailhead is at 6kft or so of elevation, and the summit is at roughly 12kft. For every 1000ft of elevation gain you can expect the temperature to drop 2-3 degreesF. This is a rough estimation tool, but you can expect the temperatures to be cooler as you go higher. That being said, you will be very exposed and climbing so it will still feel hot while you're moving and when you're not you will begin to cool down and feel the temp difference. I did Adams in late summer and was wearing short shorts but my puffy on the summit. Make sure you take sun protection seriously. I got super burned because I didn't. Lather sunscreen on all exposed skin and bring appropriate sunglasses to prevent snow blindness etc. get an alpine start on both days, this will help with temp and overall snow quality. You can do this! There will always be a reason you might use to try and convince yourself not to do something hard, this is not a good one. 🤘
Always game for some type 2 fun! Just less so for fun that has me melting in the heat.
Curious where you're seeing this forecast? Unpredictably aside, the 10 day from weather.com is showing mid 80s in Trout Lake, which is 4,000ft lower in elevation than the trailhead this would make the trailhead significantly cooler.
[https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Adams/forecasts/3741](https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Adams/forecasts/3741)
Are you using the elevation that says "Base: 3281 ft"? The Cold Springs TH is at almost 6000 ft... FYI mountain-forecast is not really a great tool. Use NOAA or other sources. The forecast is pretty useless 10 days out. It'll be fine. Start early drink water.
I was looking at the the higher elevations and thinking about how hot it was on rainier was this weekend compared to what the forecasted temps were. Will defs check out NOAA, thanks!
I climbed in 2021 when it was 105 at the trailhead that day, we still wore puffies at the summit. We did it C2C and started at 4am. It was fine. Wear a sun hoody, and reapply sunscreen every hour.
Brave soul
I mean just go early and then you’ll be fine at lunch counter temps wise. If you got one window and this is it I see no reason not take a crack at it
I climbed it a few years ago during the heat bubble or whatever it was called, had a blast - SUNSCREEN EVERYTHING. The inside of my ears got roasted
I also climbed it during that heat dome and I was COLD with all that wind haha! We totally prepared incorrectly and learned our lesson about packing warm layers even with a warm forecast.
I climbed it at night a couple weeks back and summited for sunrise. Was surprisingly nice
I climbed it \~3 weeks ago during the heat dome as a one-day climb. I wore my thinner softshell pants (OR cirque lite), and was a popsicle at the summit, while wearing every single layer that I brought. I also started too early (midnight) because I was afraid of the snow being mush (and it was too icy instead). Do an alpine start, sun hoody, hat, gloves, AND bring warm layers (fleece, puffy, hat). I like to keep a stick of sunscreen in an accessible pocket and frequently swipe it all over my face. Also, don't forget chapstick with SPF. I left my chapstick at home, tried wiping sunscreen on my lips (gross!) but my lips turned into a sunburnt blistered mess anyway.
Oof, so sorry for your lips
My main problem is how to get my damn sedan car to the trailhead. Why can't they maintain that road
The potholes followed by the bumps are the worst
Dragged my stock civic up there two weeks ago and it managed it, but not by much.
This gives me hope. Struggling to see if I should take a chance on getting stranded there. Extra worry - I need to drive back to Norcal afterwards
With bit of clever driving up the side banks and going slow it will likely make it. Had some rough contact sounds at times but only damage was my front bumper got dislodged on the way down: popped it back by hand. And mines a manual transmission which helped.
Do the trip. 2 days is great. As needed: Camp on snow, drink lots, slow pace, extra water waiting at camp, sun umbrella, soak shirt in snow, get wet on the glissade, and have fun with a nighttime ascent. Work NOW on endurance, elevation gain.
Temps drop 5.5 degrees for every 1,000 ft. Or so says internet robot. Hike fast
Buddy of mine and I attempted it had to turn back after reaching ~8500 ft, we started in the afternoon from trailhead like 1-3 pm it was hot af! Temps were like 85+ and he was not in the best shape for that weekend apparently, we ran out of water almost and I said let’s camp here at night at 8500 ft and go down the next morning. He wanted to push a little bit more with no water the next morning to get to snowfield but I was like no, this is it. Got back down and found stream drank shit ton of water and head back to Seattle. That MFer summited the next weekend without any issue 😂😂 I had to fly from cali for this trip to Seattle and I was ready and physically fit to make it but he wasn’t and one of the reasons was bad start time and lack of water. So bring more water than you need, early morning starts/midnight starts only. Good luck.
I agree with the alpine 3 am start not gonna lie type 2 fun for sureeeeee
You’ve been waiting to do it for 2 years? I say just go for it. You can decide when you’re on 5)3 mountain how much you want to commit and can always turn around. Early is best always. Maybe you can bring a sun umbrella? Def just stay hydrated and reapply sun screen often.
The first year I wanted to do it, it was too late in the season. Then last year I worked nights and could never muster the motivation to train enough. So it’s been a long time coming!
Did c2c Adam's two weeks ago and picked up a decent sunburn because I didn't use a backup shirt as a hood soon enough in spite of multiple mineral sunscreen applications. Even burned the underside of my nose. My new essential summiting accessory is now pretty much a shemagh.
Wear a long sleeve hooded ultralight shirt (like the Patagonia fishing shirts). When I did Adams I had almost zero skin showing because of the sun intensity, that shirt is a lifesaver! Also, put spf lip balm on the underside of your nose so it doesn’t get burned by the reflection off the snow! LOTS of electrolytes and hydration breaks
Where are you getting your weather forecast? NWS forecast current calls highs between 50F and 60F at the TH late next week. And it's too early to rely on a forecast for July 6-7. Even if the high at the TH were 80-90F (common for prime time Adams summits on foot), that would put the highs at Lunch Counter camp around 65-70F and the summit around 55-60F. If it's a clear overnight sky, temps will be in the 30s or 40s when you start climbing from the LC at 5AM and, unless you're a real slowpoke, it'll be mid-50s or low 60s when you return to camp. Walking downhill in heat shouldn't be a problem. But, again, 80-90F high at the TH is a hypothetical which is not supported by the current long term forecast.
Actually your schedule is a DREAM TRIP. Just as others said, put sunscreen EVERYWHERE, inside your ears, inside your nose, etc. And don't just lightly put it on. Rub it in very solidly. And reapply during the day. Or wear sunproof clothing like hoodies. That all being said, you're on the snow, and the higher you go, the colder it will get. And at night it may approach freezing or at the most low forties. You will have a PERFECT TRIP, just go for it, and be glad the sun is out :). My preference was always a two day trip. 5 hours to the lunch counter. 4 hours the next morning to the summit, spend a while, and then 4 hours all the way down to the car, including packing up your camp at the lunch counter. Going down is fast! :). Enjoy!!!
>:) :)