Mt Adams-A quick backpacking trip at the conclusion of a business trip.

Backpackers: Ed Tucker, Carl Fisher

August 18, 2000 – Ed Tucker and I are doing a trail at the base of Mt Adams.  We got started at 9:30 am with overcast 50 degree weather.  We hiked 7 miles to Horseshoe Meadows where we set up camp and used a piece of plastic to rig a vestibule in front of our tent.  At 7:30 pm the skies cleared and opened up with the setting sun lighting up Mt. Adams.  This was our first view all day and it was beautiful.  We have seen lots of wildflowers, purple Lupine, red Indian Paint Brush, wild daisys, and a brilliant yellow flower.  The wet cold chills us to the bone.

August 19, 2000 –  It was a good thing we pitched the plastic tarp because it rained or misted all night long.  We decided to day hike today (instead of trekking) in case the weather doesn’t break we can hike out tomorrow.  We hiked to the lava flow – a total of 5 miles one way – and they were less than impressive (maybe it is the weather).  We wore our rainsuits for the entire day.  Weirdest thing – last night when we went to bed the nearby stream was flowing strongly and this morning there was no water.  We had to hike an additional mile to get water.  We assumed that with temp’s in the 40’s at our elevation caused the glaciers higher up on the mountain to freeze and stop the flow.

August 20, 2000 – We woke to a bright blue sky, 37 degrees and no wind and decided to do something different.  We followed a stream out of Horseshoe Meadow upstream to 6800 feet until we reached “The Bumper”.  We kept going higher until we reached some snow fields where we had lunch warming ourselves in the balmy temperatures on the south facing hill.  It is much drier today and my boots, which leaked like a sieve yesterday, are finally starting to dry out.  We have actually seen more women than men hiking the trails.   After lunch we hiked toward Looking Glass Lake.

August 21, 2000 – An uneventful, downhill hike back to the car.