
Trip Report
Mount Aix
Went for the summit but had to stop a mile short. Ran into frozen snowdrifts and didn't have an ice axe to self-arrest.
- Sat, Jun 15, 2024
- Mount Aix
- Day Hiking
- Turned Around
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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- There are a handful of blow downs and other trees across the path every so often, but they are easy to get over by stepping over or stepping on and then off.
- A few creek crossings were encountered; they were no more than a few inches deep. Standard hiking boot with waterproof features is sufficient.
- Some of the trail in the tight switchbacks has lost its bench cut into the hillside due to erosion. These parts were tricky a required paying attention to foot placement as stepping too close to the downhill edge of the trail could cause the soft dirt to give way.
- At about 6,000 ft elevation, there was some snow that made us think we needed our microspikes to go further, but it was short-lived.
- At about 6,700-6,900 ft elevation, just before reaching the saddle in Nelson Ridge to head towards Mt Aix summit, we encountered multiple snowdrifts across the trail and down the hillside that were frozen solid. Attempted to kick steps in the drifts to pass over, but the drifts became longer and taller to cross. Microspikes and hiking poles were inadequate protection to stop from sliding 40-50 ft down the hill into the scree, trees, and debris below. Probably best to bring ice axe, crampons, and helmet, or wait for these drifts to melt a bit more and attempt early July.
Started early in the morning at 0630 with a group of five of us basic climbing students. Weather for the Pacific Northwest was to be wet and windy, so we went into this prepared for that. Hike started off easy enough with the traversing along west side of Nelson Ridge. In the openings, we were sprinkled with some rain, but as we got higher in elevation this turned into rain-snow mix and then eventually snow; winds also picked up as we went higher. Microspikes were put on when we reached substantial snow in the trail, but took them off shortly after. We put them on again when we reached 6,600 ft elevation. At about the 3.5 mile mark (the last switchback at 6,600 ft before more traversing), there were inches of snow on the ground in new accumulation and in the trees. Only two in the group had brought ice axes and helmets--no one had crampons. Those two scouted a bit further up the trail when we encountered the frozen snowdrifts and they were becoming more risky to traverse. They relayed back that the drifts didn't let up. The snow and winds were not helping anything either being that the rest of the hike is pretty exposed all the way to the peak. Therefore our group agreed to turn around at 4 miles in, 6,900 feet elevation. The rest of the hike down was uneventful. On the way down we came across a trail runner and a group of four with a dog. We warned them all about the impending drifts. No sure if any of them made it to the peak, but as we descended, the winds died down, the rain let off. Arrived back at the car at 1220 having hiked 9.36 miles hiked in 5 hours 49 minutes. Will have to come back later in the season when those drifts have melted more to bag the summit.