MisterBeer

I was unsuccessful in arranging a meeting with Mr. Pumpington to discuss our possible onsight of the Coe Glacier route. Apparently, he was out of town on some very important business. So, relying on the beta given by Boonecounty, Iian, Hal Burton, and I decided to depart from Cloud Cap at 3am, Wednesday morning. Our departure was slightly delayed since I was forced to drop one of many Rumsfelds for the day off. The approach was the usual heinous slog, but it went by quickly enough. Downclimbing the moraine onto the Coe was particularly crappy. We simuled the first few steep sections, then dropped into the icefall. Hal Burton took the lead, Iian belayed, and I had a chew. The ice was surprisingly hard, a few dinner plates came off. Hal ran the rope out to the top of the icefall, Iian and I followed. We simuled the rest, with me leading. I promptly led us to an enormous crevasse on the the left side of the route, with a large (50ft or so) vertical, but not overhanging, wall. Possibly if Dick Pumpington had been there, he could have led it. But since, I am not Dick Pumpington, I opted to skirt around it to the right. From there we topped out and followed Boonecounty's melted out but still visible tracks on to and down Snowdome. We did not bring the icefloss. Instead we had the brown rope, which has endured many trips up the south side of Mount Hood. It's a good thing no one fell. Attached is a pic of Hal leading.

Yup, that looks like Pumpington. I heard he onsighted the route! Nice pic. It makes the Sisters look like the Himalaya.