I'm attempting to climb Rainier in August using IMG. The climb with them is Wed-Friday. We are flying back to NY on Saturday taking the red eye leaving Seattle at 11pm. Is it possible or doable to drive to Mt Adams on the Friday we get down from Rainier then drive to Mt Adams for an attempt Saturday? AND then make it to Seattle airport in time for our flight? I doubt it, but I figured I would see what you guys had to say. Of course, there is aways the possibility that we won't be able to walk after Rainier. We would be attempting the South Spur Route.

My guess is after Rainier the last thing you would want to do is climb another peak. If you drove straight from Rainier to the South Side on Adams, which I would expect to take most of the rest of the day, sleep at the trailhead Friday night, climb Adams CTC on Saturday, and drive straight to the airport you may be able to pull it off. You would be cutting it close and there would be no time to get lost in a storm or anything. Probably a better thought would be to spend the day in Seattle taking in the touristy things - ride the Duck, go to the Experience Music Project, check out the Aquarium and Pike Place Market.

I would try Adams some other time. You're still relatively YOUNG, right ???

The Seattle Aquarium borders on awesome, and you could TOP it off with a ride up the Space Needle.

And, if you have an affinity for seafood, don't forget Ivar's Fish House. When I seafood, I eat it ....

lcarreau wrote:I would try Adams some other time. You're still relatively YOUNG, right ???

The Seattle Aquarium borders on awesome, and you could TOP it off with a ride up the Space Needle.

And, if you have an affinity for seafood, don't forget Iver's Fish House. When I seafood, I eat it ....

I was going to recommend Ivar's. The Ivar's near the Aquarium is a fish n chips place. The one on Lake Union has a more traditional dining room and expanded menu. But nearby the Lake Union Ivar's is the Northake Tavern. Good pizza and the walls have murals done by David Horsey (Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist) while he was a student at the nearby UW.

ExcitableBoy wrote: Good pizza and the walls have murals done by David Horsey ...

You're making me miss Seattle, EB !

Even though I love seafood and the Seahawks, I NEVER have anchovies on my pizza.

I didn't think it was doable, but I wanted to bag another peak while we were out west. We are hitting the North Cascade before Mt. Rainier, so that should be incredible.

Thanks for all the tips and spots to visit. If you have any others, please keep them coming.

North Cascades and Rainier would be a great tick. For something different from Rainier in the North Cascades try:

Fisher Chimneys on Mt Shuksan: A great variety of moderate rock, ice, and glacier on this most iconic of Cascades peaks.

North Ridge of Forbidden: The West Ridge is classic but the North Ridge is longer, more committing, crosses the most expansive glacier in the North Cascades, and is not technically harder than the West Ridge, just more scenic.

Liberty Bell:

The Beckey Route or Liberty Crack: Two classic routes up this classic spire for different technical abilities.

NW Corner of North Early Winter Spire; Its hard 5.9 and every pitch feels like 'The Money' pitch

South Early Winter Spire:

SW Buttress for a sustained 5.8 or South Arete for a scrambly 5.4.

Torment-Forbidden Traverse: Its 'only' 5.6, but the route finding and the icy traverse or the airy 5.9 bypass make it harder than the rating suggests.

NE Buttress of Mt Goode. The most committing 5.6 I've ever done.

Black Peak. Can't remember the route, there is a couple of scrambly routes on it. Great position.

+1 to everything EB says. Also I just want to add that you can take an amazing 5.9+ variation above the 5.8 crack pitch on the SW Buttress of SEWS that makes the route absolutly classic IMHO. Really fun and awesome climb. Check out cascade climbers (cascadeclimbers.com) for some great trips reports and beta on all of the routes EB mentioned.

jordansahls wrote:+1 to everything EB says. Also I just want to add that you can take an amazing 5.9+ variation above the 5.8 crack pitch on the SW Buttress of SEWS that makes the route absolutly classic IMHO.

I remember a couple optionss. We took the runout, awkward, unprotected face climbing version as per the guide book. A couple of guys came up what they described as fantastic 5.10 finger cracks.

Unfortunately, we are just getting into climbing, so nothing too technical. Really we wouldn't do anything above class 3 scrambles. I know that severely limits what we can do, but we don't want to get in over our heads. This will be our first glacier travel.

Maybe try something closer to Mt Rainier, such as one of the peaks in the Tatoosh Range.

Agreed with Scott, the Tatoosh have some decent peaks. Doing Mount Adams in less than a day after Rainier is a crazy idea. I do admire your enthusiasm, but even a guy like me wouldn't try it.

It is for sure doable. Very doable to dayhike Rainier by the dog route, and do the same on Adams the next day.

BUT question here- is it doable for you? Will YOU have enough desire to climb anything after your big Rainier climb? I think only you will know. And you will only know after you are done with Rainier trip. No point in this thread IMO.

Vitaliy M. wrote:No point in this thread IMO.

If they are as strong as "the average hiker" than I would say it was worth asking.

The driving factor makes it more dangerous, when I was coming home from my trip on Mount Adams it was pouring rain and my driver if I remember right fell asleep a little at the wheel.

Vitaliy M. wrote: No point in this thread IMO.

This was more of a logistical question. Obviously, I would have to see once I was done with Mt. Rainier if we had the legs.