Mount Adams Highline, Divide Camp — Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010

South Cascades > Mount Adams Area

A group of 9 Mountaineers did a point to point hike on the PCT segment of the Mt Adams Highline from Williams Mine TH (rd 521 off hwy 23) to Divide Camp TH 112. To minimize the car shuttle our group split into northgoing and southgoing groups with a key exchange in the middle. The weather was gorgeous, perfectly clear and in the 80s. This narrative will follow the northbound route. The Williams Mine TH on the PCT was very easy to find from FR23 about 40 miles south of Randle. There was a very good sign for the PCT trail junction from 23, taking us left about a tenth of a mile on an unmarked spur road (521 on the map) to the large PCT trailhead sign and roadside parking area (no trail park permit or Forest Pass required). The trail set out due north then winding east through forest, climbing slowly for about 3 miles and then a bit steeper until turning due north at a signed trail junction with trail 12 at about 6 miles. Nice camps on a stream near the trailhead, first peek-a-boo views of Mt Adams at about 5 miles. The trail was extremely buggy from the start, dry and dusty tread, and these features continued through the hike. After the junction the views of Adams opened up to the right across Horseshoe Meadows and glorious close-up views came in and out across various named and unnamed rockpiles (the Bumper, the Hump). Within a mile of the junction the terrain dropped away to the west, northwest and southwest leaving us with amazing vistas including Mt Hood, Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier (don't forget to look!!). For the rest of the PCT segment we retained these amazing views while winding through pygmy forests of mostly mountain hemlock and some true fir. Wildflowers were just reaching their peak, a few snow patches just melting and lupine beginning to emerge. Tried a short lunch stop during which the main course was us...for the massive swarm of mosquitoes. Crossing paths with our southgoing group we took a quick buggy group photo, traded keys and proceeded on our respective ways. At about 10 miles the trail passed through a massive field of giant pumice and basalt rocks, obviously a giant volcano burp from the past, now more like a brick oven in the midday heat. At 13 miles we came to the Divide Camp trail junction 112, turned left, and descended steeply to the trail end (at 16.5 miles) through forest and meadow. A few stream crossings, nothing treacherous or even requiring getting wet feet.