kadyakerbob

Good question, i was wondering just that. Has anyone been up there lately and tested the conditions? I am contemplating either that or new york gully for this coming sunday. Should be clear but will the snow be firm and the ice solid?.....

nice job! I was thinking about heading up there this weekend and was wondering what sort of gear you guys used? I have a rough idea but i would like to bring minimal gear. Also about how long was the hike to the base?

interestingly enough, the north side routes do not have as much snow as one would think. For instance all the ice flowing off of cooper spur looked great! I thought with all the snow that stuff might be buried but there didnt seem to be a great deal of snow. The left couloir still had quite a bit of rock showing and it looked as if the right couloir was even more bear. But still good! A little warm weather and then a cold streak will make the whole mountain happy.

Trip: Mt. Hood - North Face/ Left Chute Date: 1/14/2007 Trip Report: (Bob writing)Eben, Laura and myself decided to give the north face a go on Sunday, since the weather was so damn beautiful. We left the parking lot at 1am and started the long trek in. we managed to get up to cloud cap by about 2:30am. This whole first section was really nice packed trail. Everything went well until we started climbing. Once we arrived on the glacier the schloggin was slow. We were tired and the snow was holding us up a bit. We traded turns breaking trails and arrived at the schrun at 8AM. (Eben Writing)Crossing the Schrun was a trip. We crossed over on the far right, placing pickets as we moved along. Initially we were planning of climbing the right couloir but after arriving at the base we noticed that there wasnt really any ice in the right couloir, but there was a sweet looking short vertical ice pitch at the base of the left couloir. so We then traversed left up into the left couloir. Where the first and only real pitch of climbing began. There was a thirty foot pitch of vertical ice(WI4 with shitty pro). Bob took the bold lead and Laura and I slowly paid out the rope. As he was climbing Laura and I felt like the mountain was shedding its top layer and our ledge was constantly shrinking due to all the spindrift. Bob cleared the lip and set up belay. I followed second and Laura cleaned the route, all three of us agreed that spindrift sucks. After we were all over the ice and into the couloir it was around 10am. After the initial ice pitch we simul climbed the rest of the face. Snow was decent, but could have been a little more solid. We reached the summit at 3PM. Zero wind on the south side was a welcomed change from the frigid wind and nasty temps on the north side. Over all the climb wasn't too bad, but definately not as spicy as we all thought it would be. There was really only 30 feet of actual climbing on the north face. But the ice along the spur might offer some good climbing this weekend. Overview:(bob writing) The crux of the route was definetely the initial ice pitch. Which was'nt extremely difficult but the ice was soft making any placements very iffy. The constant spin drift also aided in making it a little bit of a pain. I was suprised how mellow the rest of the route was. from the top of the first pitch to the top is all just easy 60 degree slopes to the top. I definetely think that with a little bit more consolidation of both the snow and ice would make the route much more enjoyable. We have some ok pics, somtime this week we will scan them in and post, so everyone can see how the conditions were. Gear Notes: 4 ice screws 4 pickets Approach Notes: Not to bad, most of the way the snow was packed. once we got onto the Elliot we post holed a little bit.

So i take it you can still get up to timberline? but not to the north side(cooper sput, tilly jane)? so i guess this means that when the N.face comes in this year its going to be a hell of a hike! up the south side then down and back up the north, yeah think the first clear days we get i'll go up and check it out and give everyone info on the north faces conditions.

you could climb with me and my partner if you would like. we usually get out every week. i live in eugene and she lives in portland but we make trips to canada a lot and we could always use another person to throw in on gas. Also my buddy is going to start climbing ice this season so that would make 4. And getting you on some harder ice and mixed climbs shouldnt be a problem. Planning on spending dec in Banff area which anyone is welcome to join is they want.

yeah, looks like this warm weather is going to last until friday. then then the freezing levels going to drop back down, only to go right back up again on saturday. Which hopefully means that there has been some consolidation. so for those who have friday off looks like that will be the day to climb this week. Sandy, Yocum, Reid should be in thursday night friday day.

your best bet is to go on a weekend and become friends with a snowmobiler and have them give you a lift up to the trail head. cuts off 3.5miles of slogging.

i think that there is a little bit of consolidation going down right now just because the snow thats been falling has been somewhat wet and heavy. I think a day or two of no snow and youd be good. I am going to head up to the north side on saturday and i'll let you know how the snow is.

was affraid of that, thanks!

whats up man, you know i was up there a little while ago before we got this snow and the approach sucked, the snow is not consolidated at all. Chances are routes on DT are stil not in at all. I had to find that out the hard way by hiking the 9+ miles in to the damn mountain. definetely no ice on TC's

anyone been up on the north side of hood lately? wondering if the ice is still thick along cooper spur?

yeah i might need a ride back, i'll let you know

yes thats great advice, last year we put on the ribb in mid june and with the shitty snow we had bad rock fall through the chicken couliar, and a shitty time getting up the fork. tons of crevasses opened up. but this is obviously going to be a much better snow year.

i was just thinking about that today, did the west ridge last year to acclimate for the west ribb, i would be down to do it again though.But would you be willing to try the northwest spur?

Yes 30 days is plenty, that long gives you more time to dick around and acclimate on the surrounding peaks rather than on route. Check out the mini moonflower buttress, its just right up the valley from Kahiltna base. fun day climb.

dont sweat it, ive nailed a few pins here and there at the culumns. dont sweat it, but if you need to practice try to headout to a more obscure place. Also did you try to nail the thin crack to the right on satisfaction? if so i could see the scars from a few knifeblades. What wall r u planning on?

hey it was more like 26 feet! and beggers cant be choosers! better to climb somthing than nothing, last week i ended up in banff, so this week i had no choice but to climb the road ice

i was up there on saturday and the best ice in the area is on highway 97, there are a couple of good flows coming right off the road.

went up there yesterday, who ever said there was a lot of new snow must have been looking at the report for the west cascades. no new snow in leavenworth area, just sun!, but we did hike up and give it a try, but i was wrong its not in yet.and to John Frieh, i ask a lot of questions because when you have to drive 7hrs to check somthing out and its not in! that sucks. so the more info i can get the better.but its all good because we found some sick obscure water ice!!!that we did laps on for hours and hours!!

dont worry big dawg bob has done his homework, and yes i do know when it would be in prime coniditions, but since i dont feel like waiting i am gonna do it tomorrow. dont worry though, i'll be sure to make a great TR, so you can all wish you had gone up and climbed it this weekend too!

the trip report sounds like its climbable under a wide range of conditions. its probably a lil too early for it but, whatever i'll drive my ass all the way up there like i do almost everyweekend and see how it is first hand.

down in oregon and thinking about heading up to leavenworth this weekend but curious how the conditions are on TC's? anyone been up there lately and seen how the snow pack is?

sweet trip, sound like the snow could have been a bit more consolidated. Any good ice at all?

yeah, cooper spur has quite a bit of ice right now flowing off the side but i dont think i can handle hiking up there another time this year. already been up random north face routes about 8 times since november...which is way tooo many!