- The Cascade Volcanos are some of the most sought after summits in the USA. The main reason being that many of them are solitary giants visible from metropolitan areas. But there are many other, lesser known and hidden peaks that await the intrepid climber. The singular grandeur, deep green forests, and stupendous amounts of snowfall make for a climbing experience that is unique to the world. There is one huge caveat to climbing the Cascade Volcanoes: the quality of the rock. Seldom is heard a climber raving about the high quality rock found, and nary a traveling climber wishes to visit this range to sample the ‘bullet’ ‘bombproof’ ‘solid’ stone. This page is organized from a climbers point of view, not that of a geologist. However, the geology affects the types of climbing found, so they have been grouped semi-arbitrarily into 3 categories based on the primary types of volcanoes, and the types of climbing found as a result. Glaciated Composite Peaks Shields and Plugs Buttes and Cones
- Mount Adams (summitpost.org)
Mount Adams, situated in the eastern Cascade range, east of Mount Saint Helens and north of Mount Hood, is the second most massive and the third tallest volcano in the Cascade range. It’s eruptive volume is about 48 cubic miles and only Mount Shasta is larger in volume in the Cascades. About 60% of the mountain is in the Mount Adams Wilderness while the remainder (the East Side) was returned to the Yakama Indian Reservation. While often called a neglected mountain, this is debatable. During an early summer weekend, the Mount Adams Ranger Station recently issued Cascade Volcano Passes for over 350 people. Most of these people stay close to the South Spur described below. Be careful of rockfalls, especially on the headwall routes - there’s a reason why most Mount Adams headwall routes remain unrepeated.
- Mount Rainier (summitpost.org)
The mountain was originally named Tahoma or “Great Snowy Peak” by the Yakima Indians. Captain George Vancouver renamed it after Admiral Peter Rainier of the British Navy during a scouting expedition on May 7, 1792. This name was hotly contested for over 100 years, because Americans felt it shouldn’t be named after a British officer who had never even been to the U.S.
- Mount Saint Helens (summitpost.org)
Even before May 18, 1980 when Mt. St. Helens blew its top sky-high while vaporizing a vast area to its north, it was the smallest of Washington’s 5 volcanoes at 9677 ft (2950 m). The blast removed far more than that 1312 feet from the height of the mountain. It left a mere shell of what had been a beautifully symmetrical cone. The melting of several glaciers contributed to the massive floods. Sliding earth buried wonderful stands of virgin forest and recreational facilities and killed untold wildlife. A beautiful tree-lined lake was dammed to a higher level and filled with heat-stripped logs. Condensed rock vapor was carried on the wind to be deposited up to thousands of miles away. For seven years recreational climbing was banned on Mt. St. Helens. Then in May 1987 it was reopened. Only the south routes are still allowed. Access to the crater is strictly forbidden. On clear mornings I can see the mountain as I drive out of my neighborhood to work. That view is a constant reminder of the power of nature. I have always regretted that I had moved from Vancouver, WA to Juneau, AK only three months before the eruption. I returned two years after the eruption, but I missed out on all the excitement. When the mountain blew its top, a part of me went with it.
- Fritz Lang and METROPOLIS (german-way.com)
The man born Friedrich Christian Anton Lang in Vienna on 5 December 1890 claimed to have studied art and architecture in Vienna, Munich, and Paris. But according to biographer Patrick McGilligan (Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast), this was just one of several Fritz Lang legends that the director carefully cultivated over the years. In reality, Lang dropped out of Vienna’s Technische Hochschule (technical college) after only two years.