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Old Snowy is probably the easiest glaciated peak to climb in the NW. It's not as well known as St. Helens or South Sister, and thus gets a lot fewer climbers. If you are looking for a gentle approach and non-technical ascent in a beautiful area, this is your peak. It's in the aptly named Goat Rocks area, between Mts. Adams and Rainier. Bring the binoculars for mountain goat watching.
Activity Notes
This is my favorite nearby mountain to climb. The most notable features of the route are a permanent snowfield and a short scramble. For our efforts, we get a magical view of nearby jagged peaks (in the Goat Rocks) and more distant volcanoes. The last time I led this climb, seven years ago, I wrote in the post-trip report that I planned "to lead it again and again." Life got busy, but I'm happy to return.
This will be a backpack to Snowgrass Flats. We will hike in Saturday, setup camp, climb and return to camp, hiking out Sunday. There will be a pre-climb meeting Thu 8/21/2025 at 19:00 on Google Meets.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 150 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 3 hours |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in two or more days |
| Relevant Books | Cascade Alpine Guide: Columbia River to Stevens Pass by Fred Beckey |
| Relevant Maps | The USGS 7 minute series does not cover this area in one convenient map. The best one is the US Forest Service Goat Rocks Wilderness map. Others are: Green Trails: Packwood (302) and White Pass (303) <href="http: maps.google.com="" maps?f="q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Old+Snowy+WA&sll=63.479444,-145.397222&sspn=0.011248,0.04549&ie=UTF8&ll=46.511714,-121.453986&spn=0.017337,0.04549&t=p&z=15&iwloc=addr"" title="Google map">Google map</href="http:> |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
