I had eyed Big Four extensively one day on the way back from Vesper Peak, mostly looking at the rather intimidating 4th class routes on the north face.  When Mark invited me for a go at the easier northeast gully, I was eager to take on the mountain.

So on the afternoon of May 6th Mark, Eric, Laura, Matt and myself met up in Everett and headed off for Big Four.  We planned to do the bushwack that evening and camp at the base of the climb.  Matt and I were originally planning to ski the south chutes of Mt. Adams that weekend, but canceled at the last minute because the weather report was for rain and snow and we didn't want to drive all the way down to the Columbia River for nothing.

Parking at mile marker 27 we set off into the woods and looked for a place to ford the stream.  A slick, narrow log was eventually found that crossed the stream, and while everybody else was able to cross I managed to fall in up to my knees, fortunately it turned out to be no great catastrophe.  The "evil bog" was avoided by following a dirt ridge and numerous bits of red flagging.  We quickly reached our campsite were I set about drying my socks over my whisperlight.  It actually worked pretty nicely.

At six the next morning we donned crampons and headed up the hard snowy gully.
 

Traversing the lower slopes to reach the main gully.  One is climbing on avalanche debris continuously.
 
 

Near the base of the main gully.
 
 

Looking back down the gully near it's constriction at about 5,000'.
 
 

Mark Glidden - intrepid mountaineer.  Note you are now standing on either avalanche debris or a sluff path.
 
 

Unfortunately it was a really hot, sunny day.  Small avalanches started coming down everywhere.  We started wondering when the big one would break loose.
 

Matt in the foreground as we decide to turn around.  Somewhere in the top ten of when to turn around because of avalanches is "avalanches happening all around you."  We'd seen five or six at this point, including a couple we'd quickly gotten out of the way of.  The summit would have been attained by reaching the saddle and taking a right turn to follow the ridge.
 
 

A nice view of Twin Peaks.  Thusly inspired, Mark, Eric and I would return two weeks later to climb it.   Trip report   Glacier Peak is off to the left.
 
 

Laura
 

Eric
 

Mark cooling off, considerably, in the stream on the way out.  I managed to cross the log without falling off this time.