So for a while I have been looking and reseaching a route on Mount Adams called the "North Ridge", also known I think as the north cleaver.  There wasn't a whole lot of info I was able to find on the route other than the approach hike is suppose to be quite long.  I am now starting to stray away from the "normal" routes up mountains and starting to look for the more seldom climbed routes, and that's just what I got on this trip.  

     I packed up the car early on Sunday July 21 and headed out of town on what I thought would only be about a 4hour car ride, turned into about a 6.5hr ride to the Killen Creek trailhead.  Now what I never did read about was the road to the trailhead, Its about 40miles from a town called "Randle", and about 15miles of that is dirt road.  Now I don't mind a dirt road but this dirt road was full of pot holes and poorly maintained, just what I wanted  to be bringing my lowered Golf onto. By the way, I now have to look into a mysterious rattle from under my car, but I made it there and back so it's all good.  

     Once at the trailhead (about 1-2pm I think), I quickly gather my gear and follow in behind 2 other hikers (named Chuck and Austin) up the Killen Creek trail.  With a nice bluebird day and the heat being near 30C it was a long slow climb up to Equestria Lake.  This lake is a great spot to camp and get some water from the glacier fed lake, or even take a bath.  It took about 2.5hrs to reach the lake and with the heat I felt it was a good time to cook some dinner and wait for Chuck and Austin to discuss what they thought about the route ahead (cause they where suppose to do the same route).  I waited at the lake for an additional 2hrs but they never showed up, this really spooked the heck out of me, as the trail from the car goes right past the lake and almost everyone either stops here for the night or will take a break here for a while.  It would almost be impossible to climb this side of the mountain (or any of the north routes) without passing me sitting at the lake.  So I sat and waited until I couldn't wait no more and figured I should get up as high as I can and set up camp for the night.

    I ended up getting up to about 8400' and found a nice little bivy (as you can tell I did not have my camera with me so you'll just have to take my word on this little story-thanks).  This was no ordinary bivy site though, this site had a north view of Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, and the sun would set later in the night right between the two mountains.  This was most likely the most beautiful spot I have ever camped in my life so far, when the sun was setting and the sky went pink and orange and with the two mountains lit up, it was an image I will not soon forget.  Up until nightfall I would spend my time reading my book and looking threw my binoculars for the other party that was suppose to be up on the mountain with me.  I also spent some time checking out the route above to prepare for the day ahead.  I couldn't find the route proper from camp but figured I'd find it in the morning.  To camp just below the North Ridge is a very daunting thing to do, as this route to me was very intimidating and was always on my mind, quite frankly it scared me.  But with the lights going out it was time to go pee one last time and wake up at 6am.

    On a normal mountain, start time for a climb would be about 1-3am, but on this route my start time would be 6am as I needed the light of the day to help with route finding, and with so little snow on this side there was little worry about slides later in the day.  So off I went in a flurry of adrenaline and worriedness in my stomach.  I quickly reached the first 
Gendarme and got lost right away.  I had read that you wanted to keep to the east side of them when climbing, but I went way too low and east of it.  I actually went so low that it became apparent very quicly that I was in trouble.  I thought I was following climbers tracks, but they turned out to be mountain goat tracks.  The goats will go into very steep and tight spots that a climber shall not be in.  So while finding myself way off track and on ground that would spell disaster with one wrong step (I'm talking steep and slippery-you use your imagination) I suddenly spot another climber.  I initally think its either Chuck or Austing on their way up the ridge.  I don't yell or acknowledge them thinking I will see them again when I gain the route on the ridge again.  About 30min later I am arrive back to where I should be and find the correct trail again, but with no sign of any other climbers.  I stop for a quick break and wait, what's this, oh great, I left both bottles of water in my sleeping bag from the night before.  Great, just great.  What to do now.  I came all this way so there is no backing off now, but I'm tired/thirsty and possibly halucinating.  I am not happy and still quite scared of this climb and long for some company to show me how to get up this beast of a route.  And what about that climber I am sure I saw, was it just a figment of my imagination?  Or was it my mind just begging for help in a time of need (remember I only saw this person when my future was not guaranteed), so I have no answers on this one.

    I haven't mentioned this yet but right from the start of the Killen Creek trailhead to the North Summit this mountain is covered in sand and scree.  I mean each step up feels like 2 steps back, I swear you must climb this mountain 2 times if you climb it by the North Ridge.  But alas I make it to the North summit, hungry and very thirsty.  I keep thinking I'll bump in to Chuck and Austin and be able to get some water from them, but nope, no sign of any other climbers yet.  From the middle of the ridge to the north summit is full of some wonderful climbing, from the mundane sand climb to climbing under what can only be described as climbing under slabs of stone cornices about a storey tall, all the while not letting your heart beat get too low.