Backpacking Mt. Adams Wilderness

My friend Chris and I had a great backpacking trip exploring the N-NW area of the Mt. Adams (12,281 ft) Wilderness on 7/30/10. We found a great camp site near the Muddy Fork Creek at about 6,200 ft with a view of the creek, Mt. Adams, Goat Rocks and much more. Our only neighbors were a small group of people 100 yards away and the hordes of mosquitoes (thank goodness for DEET and permithrin).

We settled in for a quiet evening – at least until the lightning, thunder and rain came. It was the most lightning and thunder I have ever experienced. The next day, under clear skies, we took a side trip to a place called Devil’s Garden at about 7,800 ft, crossing a snow bridge over the roaring creek. At Devil’s Garden we saw and heard several large chunks of ice careen down from near the top of the mountain and fall thousands of feet. We also saw many mountain goats on a distant ridge.

After that side trip, the plan was to pack up and meet up with the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and find a camp site somewhere near a planned side trip to High Camp. We succeeded in finding a great spot near where the PCT crosses Killen Creek with a view of Mt. Adams and a waterfall.

The next day we packed up and hiked to the trial to High Camp. High Camp is an area where many mountain climbers make base camp. We stashed our backpacks in the woods so we wouldn’t have to carry all that weight over 1,000 feet up. As expected, it was beautiful up there. After hiking back down, we took the Killen Creek trail back to my truck.

Total Mileage: 25 miles

Elevation gain: 5,500 ft

Here is a link to pictures of my Mt. Adams adventure:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54959080@N05/sets/72157625101540203/detail/