NEWS: 140mi Mt. Adams-to-Mt. Hood Challenge

Christof Teuscher
The report is available at Report: 158mi Mt. Adams-to-Mt. Hood Challenge.

In 2014 I managed the then-unthinkable: the Mt. Adams-to-St. Helens Challenge. It took me 38h17min (without sleep) to summit Mt. Adams, run to Mt. St. Helens, and summit Mt. St. Helens. According to my GPS, the route was 85.5mi long with 20,664ft of elevation gain. That was chapter 1 of a story that didn’t feel finished yet.

Today I’m stoked to announce chapter 2: the Mt. Adams-to-Mt. Hood Challenge! The new unthinkable consists in summiting Mt. Adams, running to Mt. Hood, and summiting Mt. Hood. All of that in one push: about 140mi (225km) with 38,000ft (11’600m) of elevation gain. This is by far beyond anything I have ever done.  And that does make me a little nervous.

“It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” — Hugh Laurie

adamshoodoverviewFigure 1. The main route with the elevation profile. The total distance is about 140mi (225km) with 38,000ft (11’600m) of elevation gain.

The Route

The map above (Fig 1) shows the main route and the elevation profile. Note that distance and elevation vary considerably depending on the tools.

I will start at the Mt. Adams Cold Springs trailhead. First I’ll summit Mt. Adams and return to the trailhead, then change into running gear. From there I’ll have to go back up for about 2mi, then hit the Around the Mountain trail (#9) until I can hop on the PCT. I’ll then run on the PCT until Timberline Lodge, where I’ll change into climbing gear again and finish by summiting Mt. Hood. Well, that’s if things happen according to the plan. And that’s a very big IF.

I’ve seriously trained and prepared for this challenge for almost a year now. Numerous Adams and Hood climbs during the day and at night hopefully prepared me for the climbing sections. I’ve run almost all sections of the trails, some multiple times. I scouted water sources, the crew locations, the bail-out routes, alternative/bypass routes, and measured my pace to make the best possible predictions. But alas, despite all the preparation, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around what lies head.

Figure 2 below shows a distance and elevation comparison of the old unthinkable (Adams-to-Helens, chapter 1) with the new unthinkable (Adams-to-Hood, chapter 2).

adamshoodprofilecompFigure 2. Elevation and distance comparison of Adams-to-Helens (chapter 1) vs Adams-to-Hood (chapter 2).

Preview

The Plan

I plan to start the first attempt around 4pm on Friday, May 22, 2015. Current conditions on Adams look very questionable with the potential for heavy snowfall (10-20″). It is possible that the start time needs to be pushed back significantly.

If things work somewhat according to the plan, this adventure will take me anywhere between 50 and 70h, depending on conditions, the need for bypass routes, and the need for sleep. I will hopefully be done in the early hours of Monday, May 25, 2015.

There’s only a short window when this adventure can be pulled off. The snow needs to be melted enough on the trails (especially around Adams, through the Indian Heaven Wilderness, and on the Timberline Trail), but there still needs to be enough snow on Hood to keep the rockfall low. Also, Hood should not be climbed during the day because of the risk of ice and rockfall. Ideally, one should be on the summit before sunrise and out of the danger zone when the sun starts to warm up the steep slopes. Another red flag is the Sandy River crossing. It can simply be impossible to cross it in the spring time or after heavy rain.

The Crew

This will be a supported adventure because of the gear needed for the climbing sections and the overall length. Super-wifey Ursina is crewing me for the entire duration.  We’ll have 6 re-supply points at carefully chosen locations:

  • Cold Springs Trailhead (Start and mile 11)
  • Crest Horse Camp (mile 45.5)
  • Hemlock Lake/Stabler (mile 62.2)
  • Cascade Locks (mile 86.5)
  • Lolo Pass (mile 115)
  • Timberline Lodge (mile 129 and finish)

The re-supply locations will allow me to pack reasonably light so that I can move as efficiently as possible. The longest unsupported stretch will be about 35mi.

Following me by car to the above locations is in itself a challenge. It will require Ursina to drive about 145 miles, in large parts on remote and unpaved forest roads, often in the middle of the dark, cold, and hostile night. Needless to say that a lot of planning went into the logistics, communication means, and safety of this adventure.

Follow the Adventure and Watch me Crumble

You can follow the adventure in several ways:

We’re planning to go live on Periscope at the following locations that have cell phone coverage:

  • Cascade Locks (Sunday morning)
  • Timberline Lodge (Sunday night)
  • Summit of Mt. Hood (Monday morning)

If you follow ChrisTeuscher you’ll get notifications when we go live. These times may change significantly depending on how things go. Check the SPOT tracking for the current location: http://bit.ly/AdamsToHood

The complete GPS track of the main route is available for download: adamshood.kmz. It works with Google Earth and many other GIS(-like) programs.

” In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” — Miguel de Cervantes