Mt. Hood ski descent

[justclimbice]

So I'm planning a summit of Mt. Hood next weekend and my partner wants to ski off the summit. I've never done Hood or skied off a peak in the Cascades before. Watching video of the south side ski, it looks fairly mellow after the initial chute and I can typically ski black runs no problem. With no experience skiing a mountain like Hood and the potential for weird snow conditions (because it's the middle of June) is this a bad idea or am I overthinking? Downclimbing to less steep terrain seems like a good option too! Can anyone speak to skiing the south side route in June?

 

Thanks!

Gavin

[montypiton]

consider that the chute above the hogsback will likely be clogged with climbers headed up, may be too crowded to ski. another option is to move west on the summit ridge and ski the slope above devils kitchen. I skied that in June of 1987 on old-school three-pin binding telemark gear. I'd call it double-diamond terrain. I know you're not gonna fall, but its advisable to have solid self-arrest-with-ski-poles skills just in case. once below the hogsback or devils kitchen, its just cruising.

-Haireball

[christophbenells]

this year the "normal" route is the pearly gates, and the typical ski descent is down the old chute, so you shouldnt have to worry about skiing above climbers. Plus you will want to be skiing down later in the day, most climbers will have already descended by then.

 

The tough thing with skiing hood is timing, gotta climb up early enough to where its not too hot w/ rock/icefall, but gotta descend later in the day when the snow softens up.

 

Be ready for all conditions. The top 75' feet is usually less than a ski lenghts wide, so it is always dicey. an unarrested fall will likely end in serious trauma.

 

there is a good spot to ski from just at the bottom of the old chute, and skiing from the hogs back can be a great time too.

 

I personally like to go down either the west crater rim and to the north of crater rock and down the zig zag to miss head, or down the hogs back to white river headwall and down white river glacier traversing out around 7,500' to t-line lodge.

[PuckerJunkie]

Not to go pissing in your Cheerios, but falling from the top of the west crater rim just might do you in, especially if its firm.

 

On most days that slope won't be soft until early afternoon.

 

Good luck, wish I had the balls to ski it.