Mt Adams: Glacial Lake above High Camp

[drm]

I don't often do dayhikes on the north side of Adams due to the length of the drive, nearly two hours. But the weather this early October basically left me no choice. It had been a few years since I had visited this lake. I would say that a late season visit is not ideal, low angle snowfields are easier to hike that extended areas of loose rock, but much of that snow is melted now. And the lake is more of a mudpit. But otherwise, everything was perfect! Only one car at the trailhead on arrival and I only saw one hiking group the whole day.

some nice color lower down

the maintained trail to High Camp gets very rocky

and then gets steeper

the final steep talus up to High Camp

High Camp area is very pleasant, though dry - no water

one of the few snowfields left

lots of this to hike through now

the lake and the mountain

this used to be connected to the glacier aboove - no longer, and it is still melting into October

[johnspeth]

After my wonderful visit to Iceberg Lake a couple of weeks ago, I'm making Glacier Lake my next destination for the same reasons you named. So I have a couple of questions:

1. Which trailhead is best used to tag Glacier Lake (High Camp or Killen Creek)?
2. Is there any obvious trail or at least occasional trail evidence from High Camp to Glacier Lake? I've read a wrong decision could make things harder.

Thanks

[Don Nelsen]

Interesting how everyone seems to take the same photo once at the lake:

Sept 14, 2021

[drm]

Killen Creek is the obvious closest trailhead. Then when that gets to the PCT, you jog slightly right and head up the High Camp trail. High Camp Trail starts from the PCT, it has no trailhead of it's own. There is an alternative way going up the Divide Camp Trail, crossing Adams Creek on the PCT, and soon after angling up and right to High Camp. It's a longer but probably more pleasant route, but there is no trail from the PCT there and you need to find your way and be comfortable doing that.

While there is briefly a trail from High Camp, there are a lot of trails in High Camp. Just head straight towards the lake, and then when maybe a quarter mile away you detour to the left around the obvious and nasty moraine. There is a short section of trail where you first head up and left, and then as you get close to the lake - maybe 200 yards from it. But for the most part it is just XC.

My 7th photo about "lots of this to hike through" shows that moraine at the top of the photo. It looks far away because it is hazy, but it is not. That is what you have to go around.

I made a wrong decision once - I skipped the left detour around the moraine and went over it. I will never make that mistake again.

[johnspeth]

Thanks. Your advice was helpful.

[retired jerry]

if you do Divide Camp Trail, then you have to cross Adams Glacier Creek.

that is a fairly difficult stream crossing, although right now stream flow may be low enough not to be a big deal

[adamschneider]

if you do Divide Camp Trail, then you have to cross Adams Glacier Creek. that is a fairly difficult stream crossing, although right now stream flow may be low enough not to be a big deal

It's not THAT bad, and right now — after a crazy dry September — it would be trivial. Here's what the Adams Creek crossing looked like on 8/26/20, in the evening (high water time):

And the compulsory lake photo from earlier on the same day:

[Naturebat]

There is an alternative way going up the Divide Camp Trail, crossing Adams Creek on the PCT, and soon after angling up and right to High Camp. It's a longer but probably more pleasant route, but there is no trail from the PCT there and you need to find your way and be comfortable doing that.

I much prefer the Divide Camp cross country route, having done both ways up to High Camp and Glacier Lake. To me it feels more scenic and interesting. I enjoy Adams Creek and its floodplain (I love glacial scenery, including glacial creeks), the route often feels less steep from Adams Creek, more scenic route imo, and less dusty too of course. The Divide Camp Trail is also greener than the Killen Creek Trail. Don't know if I could do it as a day hike via Divide Camp though, but a backpack for sure.
There are some beautiful meadows along the way, and one very nice alpine tundra meadow too.

[Chip Down]

Interesting how everyone seems to take the same photo once at the lake:

Indeed.
Here's mine:

[adamschneider]

I much prefer the Divide Camp cross country route... the route often feels less steep from Adams Creek

No kidding. When I went a couple years ago, I started from the Divide Camp Trailhead and then turned east off the PCT shortly after Adams Creek and headed uphill from there, eventually topping out on Adams Glacier's terminal moraine. I went back down via the High Camp Trail, and I couldn't believe how long and steep it seemed compared to my ascent route. I don't know WHY it seemed so different, but it did.