Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting micro spikes for Mt Adams?

Will these be aggressive enough for Adams in late July/early August?

No. If you need crampons, you need real ones.

Thanks, It was my understanding that some folks use nothing as a traction aid as long as they climb the right time of day..

I have climbed on Adams several times, once to the summit in August. Wore regular hiking boots and did fine on the main trail up the south side.

Before dawn it will likely be hard frozen snow which warms to a grainy corn snow of deeper and deeper depth as the day wears on. On most days early in the morning you need some kind of traction on hard frozen snow surface on the higher parts of the mountain. A lot of people hike part way up, camp on one of the benches, summit the next morning and then descend. For an early start that high, up in the snow, I'd want crampons.

We were one of many parties that did it all in one day, starting in the dark from our vehicle and back by sundown. It was nearing mid morning by the time we reached snow and it was soft enough by then to get good footing without crampons, etc.

Adams is a long walk uphill via the most travelled route up the south side, with an obvious trail all the way on rocks and snow. So many people climb on a good day that it looks like pictures of the old Chlkoot Pass gold rushers. At over 12,000 feet a flat lander notices the thin air. Great hike. Have fun!

Added: Hazards of the hill. Somebody got off the main route that same August day, however, and died in a crevasse. Some folks climbed it that sunny day in shorts, T-shirt and running shoes. FWIW I got caught in a SUDDEN July blizzard above 9,000 feet there one summer and nearly died, so I wear and carry all I need to survive a stormy night up there.

Okanagan, thanks you for the detailed info.. I attempted the MT when I was 10 years old with my grandpa (he has climbed it a few times with crampons, before micro spikes and the likes) I got altitude sickness really bad to the point of dizzyness and blacking out from severe headache we turned around just before the false summit.. My grandpa lashed my pack to his and carried all our stuff and me (toughest man I know) for most of the way until the treeline.. We went back to the trail head and spent the night, this alowed me to acclimate and I was fine the next day so we tried again but only made it to the treeline as a storm was setting in.. Since then I have been on several hikes to 11,000'+ and have not had anymore altitude sickness..

I've been using Kahtoola Crampons for some years now for such things. They aren't true crampons in that the front spikes don't point out and the spikes themselves are shorter, but work they do. E

It is not at all unusual to encounter snow conditions where you get a heavy build-up under your crampons, limiting their grip. Shorter points would be less effective in such conditions. Also your typical 12 point crampons greatly assist in self-arrest ... lack of front points leaves you trying to dig in your boot toes.

There are routes in our mountains where crampons are not always necessary but when you need them, you really need them.

I am not sure what the point of going with the micro spikes unless you absolutely could not buy, rent or borrow a set of real crampons. Tools you should not be without on snow routes in the Cascade Mtns are a good helmet, an ice ax and crampons ... and GOOD all weather clothing.

Rubber skins over the crampons help alot to prevent such buildup. Even if you get some buildup, it's pretty easy to knock it off.
Second, crampons with long spikes don't do well when you hit rocks and other near bare grounds. Khatoolas have blunter spikes which handle such treatment better. E

It really depends on conditions and your route as well as your personal comfort level.

I'll buy that. E

I've attempted Adams 8 times and summitted 4. All were one day climbs, except one; all in the summer, except that one, and on that one, we got blown off before the false summit. Never used crampons to summit because by the time we hit the steep snow,it was soft enough not to need them. If you camp below the false summit and start early the next day, you will likely need crampons because the snow will be hard early in the a.m. I always climbed with Koflach plastic boots and the hard edges and stiff shank were essential. I can't see how microspikes would hurt, but wouldn't use them if crampons were necessary and wouldn't substitute microspikes for hard edges and a stiff shank.

On the issue of shanks: On several trips, I advised people I was "guiding" to get Koflach or similar stiff boots. They wore their trail hikers instead and complained of sore soles afterwards. Stiff shanks may not be comfortable on the lower trail, but really protect your feet when toe kicking half the day.

Will ditto that a stiff shanked boot will be more comfortable. I said that I summited in "regular hiking boots" but my regular boots have stiff shank/soles intended for steep ground off trails, which is where I mainly hunt and hike.

It will likely be sunny and hot but may be blowing sleet sideways hard enough to sting exposed skin painfully.