Outstanding Mount Adams Hike

[VTJ]

It's taken awhile to get this report together, but my son (18) and I had a terrific hike of Mount Adams on Tuesday July 5th. Similar to our hike of Washington last year, we had pretty much ideal conditions the entire time.

The route we chose took us pretty much straight up Air Line starting at Appalachia before branching off past Madison Hut over to the Star Lake Trail. After summiting we made our way down Valley Way, eventually along Snyder Brook, back to the trailhead. Including breaks to explore the newly renovated hut, etc. and with nothing to rush us, the day added up to just about 7.5 hours. A good day's work!

For those who haven't tried this route, it was a good challenge, probably more so than the Ammo-Jewel loop of Washington. The vertical felt a bit more relentless, the rocks a little less forgiving. The scrambling near the top of Star Lake made my son wary... unusual since he will run to the top of the fire towers in Vermont... but everything here is on such a different scale. And so worth it... the views and landscape had us stopping repeatedly to take it all in.

[Side note: Not sure if it was freak day, or if it's the norm, but the summit of Adams was absolutely teeming with bugs. We barely swatted a fly the entire hike up, but at the top there were too many insects to count - big and small, flying and crawling, on us and all around us. So rather than unpack there, we chose to head down a bit before relaxing and enjoying the views a bit more. Just as rewarding!]

To all who post here - another sincere thank you for the helpful information, knowledge and tips you offer on these forums year 'round. To those who visit here for ideas and may be thinking about hiking Adams - here are a few pics above treeline, in reverse order:

[KD Talbot]

Nice TR and very nice pics! The bugs on Adams are not unusual in June, July and even into August. Entomologist's paradise!

KDT

[Snow Miser]

Very nice photos and report VTJ! Adams is one of my next peaks to do. Thanks for sharing.

[surferclimber]

Nice shots & thanks for posting!! Mt. Adams is a great day hike; I personally enjoying going into Kings Ravine and then up one of the trails that climbs up the ravine wall

I never been on Adams in anything other than Winter - snow & ice covered - so these pics are defintley a new and different perspective for me

thanks again

[mtruman]

Great pics and TR! Adams is definitely an equal-to-or-greater-than challenge compared to Mt Washington (as the guide books will attest). We actually did Adams for this first time this weekend during Seek the Peak as an alternative to the crowded trails on Mt Washington. We went up King Ravine and just loved it. Seeing your pics from the Airline ascent definitely confirm for me that I want to go back and do it again that way. Had to laugh about you comment on the bugs. The people that we were hiking with mentioned the "Mt Adams bugs" on the way up and I had no idea what they were talking about. From Thunderstorm Junction to the summit there were so many weird kinds of bugs that I'd never seen before buzzing around us. Now I'm really curious. Thanks again for sharing your hike with us!