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The Mt. Adams Gap Traverse
Mt. Adams Gap Traverse is one of the more challenging backpacking trips in the Pacific Northwest, but more than compensates with scenic views and variety of terrain. The 19 mile trip varies from 4,400’ to 8,300’ in elevation and from flat trails to glacier travel. This is a challenging trip and you need to be in good physical condition to complete it. The first two days are off-trail and include snow fields, glacial moraine, steep, loose rock, roped glacier-travel, stream crossings, and up and down rocky ridges. While there are many ways through this area, our experience of many traverses have enabled us to determine an optimum route which combines safety of travel with maximum experience of the varied terrain. We will camp two nights, which will give us time to appreciate the fantastic country we are traveling through. Minimum party size is three persons. During this trip we pass through Tract D of the Yakama Nation. Under the terms of the 1972 Treaty which returned this area to the Nation, public recreational access is allowed for the months of July-September. Our route stays within Tract D, and does not take us into areas of the Nation which are closed to the public. The Yakima People considered Mt. Adams to be sacred and we will demonstrate our respect for Mt. Adams by practicing leave no trace procedures. Price: 1 person - $1,500 (Includes two guides), 2 persons - $700 each, 3 persons - $600 each, 4-6 persons - $500 each. Scheduled 2008 Trip: Please e-mail us or call 877 965-5100
THE SCHEDULEDAY ONE:Bird Creek Meadows Trailhead to Sunrise Camp - 3 Miles(4.8 km)/5,700’(1,737m) to 8,300’(2,530m)
DAY TWO:Sunrise Camp to Avalanche Valley - 4 1/2 Miles (7.2 km)/8,300’(2,530m) to 6,600’ (2,012m) This is our alpine traverse day. This section involves roped travel while descending the glacier and challenging off-trail travel through loose, steep rock. Since we want to cross the Klickitat Glacier early, we’ll have a 5 AM wake up,
eat
breakfast, break camp, and depart by 6:30 AM. We will walk to the edge of the
Glacier, rope-up, and traverse across the glacier to Battlement Ridge. We then
scramble up to the ridge crest.
DAY THREE:Avalanche Valley to the Muddy Meadows Trailhead - 12 Miles (19km)/ 6,600’(2,012m) to 4,400'(1,341m) After breakfast and breaking camp, we climb up and down on the Highline Trail.
As incredible as all the views have been, it is good to see our vehicle at the trailhead. Our journey on Mt. Adams is over, but the memories of this amazing trip will haunt us forever. EQUIPMENT LISTCLOTHING for possible sun, rain, snow, wind and cold nights:Sturdy leather boots with lug soles (need to be able to hold crampons); gaiters; 2 Pair Wool or polypropylene socks with liners; Thermal underwear (wool, polypropylene, or equivalent); Warm sweater, fleece jacket, or wool shirt; Warm pants (Not jeans!); Gore-Tex (or other water-resistant material) Parka; Wind pants or climbing bibs; Mittens or gloves with shells; Sun hat; Balaclava or warm hat and scarf/neck gaiter, shorts/T-shirt, Clean clothes to change into at the vehicle. TEN ESSENTIALS:
OTHERBackpack large enough to comfortably carry personal gear and your share of the group gear, Liquids (at least 2 ½ qts.); Handkerchief; Toilet Paper; Insect Repellant, Crazy Creek Chair or small insulation pad for sitting on (attach it to your pack), Sunglasses/goggles, Camera and Film/memory card, Camp Shoes, Book 
CAMPING GEARSleeping bag and pad We provide transportation from Portland to the trailheads and return, permits, guides, trekking poles, ropes, ice ax, climbing harness, crampons, food, tents, and all cooking equipment.
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We pick-up in Portland starting about 6 AM and drive to
Bird Creek Meadows Trailhead (6,100’)(km), load up, and head up the trail 3 miles
(km) to Sunrise Camp (8,300’)(km)
at the base of the Mazama Glacier. This involves off-trail travel through loose
rock and snow. After
setting-up camp and having a snack, we’ll cover glacier travel techniques. Then,
while your guides prepare dinner, you can relax and enjoy the views.
After descending the ridge, we thread our
way across multiple streams to our campsite
in Avalanche Valley. Ira Spring and Harvey Manning, in their book, 100 Hikes in
Washington‘s South Cascades and Olympics, describe Avalanche Valley thusly:
"What’s to say about this green vale where cold springs gush from lava tubes and
meander through the flowers beneath cold walls of the Wilson and Rusk Glaciers, beetling
crags of Battlement Ridge, Victory Ridge, The Spearhead, The Castle, and the hanging
glaciers on Roosevelt Cliff? Well, when good little hikers finally check in their boots,
this is where they go." 
We
pass under Wilson Glacier to the Devil’s Garden, under the Lyman and Lava Glaciers,
and then past
Foggy Flats where we leave the Highline Trail, cross the Pacific Crest Trail
(PCT), and arrive at the Muddy Meadows Trailhead. Your neck will be sore from checking out the
awesome views of the North Cascades to the right and the chaos of Mt. Adams to your left.
Oregon Peak Adventures can make arrangements for you to rent any needed equipment.
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