Mt. Adams | Washington's 2nd Highest Mountain | August 2025

One-day climb to Washington’s Mt. Adams (12,276’) via the South Climb Trail. I left Hood River at 2:00 AM, arrived at the Mt. Adams Trailhead at Cold Springs by 3:35 AM, reached the summit at 10:35 AM, and returned to the trailhead at 3:00 PM. A full day: dark start, sunrise over the South Face, a steady grind past the Lunch Counter, and a windy but beautiful summit. 00:00 — Night drive from Hood River (2:00 AM) 00:10 — Trailhead at Cold Springs (3:35 AM start) 00:36 — Microspikes on and Crescent Glacier 01:09 — Rock scramble to the Lunch Counter and sunrise 01:24 — South Face to Pikers Peak 02:05 — Final climb to Pikers Peak ridge 02:30 — Pikers Peak 04:01 — Final push to the summit 04:23 — Summit! (10:35 AM) 05:00 — Descent: scree, glissade, snowfield 06:05 — Back to trailhead (3:00 PM finish) 06:29 — Photos Trail summary • Route: South Climb Trail via Cold Springs Campground • Elevation: 12,276 ft (3,742 m) • Elevation gain: ~8,000 ft • Distance: ~13 miles round trip • Time on trail: ~11.5 hours (3:35 AM – 3:00 PM)