Ptown_Climber1
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Posts posted by Ptown_Climber1
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I was up there about one month ago...sorry...not too recent. But at the time, it was a walk up. Walked over a few cracks...took my 12 year old son and sister-in-law....roped up. Crevasses were opening, but the big ones were off to the sides. Can't say what it's like now, but my guess is it's still relatively ok. Good luck...post a pic if you go. It's beautiful up there.
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Anyone been up sunshine route or seen Elliot glacier conditions recently. Looking to get up there this weekend. Any beta would be nice.
Thanks
I posted a trip report couple weeks back, over 4th of July weekend....bridges getting pretty weak....beware of punching through around Horseshoe Rock!
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Would you like to hike it together this weekend? Friday or Saturday night, you decide. Please email me at
peter_john777@yahoo.com
I have all the gear, I just hate to go alone. I have plenty of experience, never hiked Hood as I just moved to Portland a few months ago.
Thank you.
First thing to make clear, Hood is not a 'hike'. It's a climb....and it's getting late in season...be wary of rockfall and poor snow conditions.
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Well, I assume you mean the right line in your pic as the later season variation? What I saw on the left line was pretty sketchy, in my opinion....if you traverse over to the right, I can't say, other than the exposure increased, and it did seem like there were more cracks to navigate getting over there.
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Trip: Mt. Hood - Sunshine Route
Date: 7/3/2016
Trip Report:
I got out and climbed Sunshine Route today, squeezing in one last Hood climb before summer really takes its toll on the old volcano in our backyard. Two friends and I (one in the role of driver/sherpa) set out from Cloud Cap yesterday afternoon, with the intent of finding a good bivy site at the base of snow dome....mission accomplished at 8,100 feet. It's hard to imagine a more picturesque and peaceful spot to set up camp. Thank goodness for the rock walls already in place, for the winds out of the west were a howling companion all through the night and into summit day.
Waking at 3, we wrestled out of our cocoons and began to prepare for what lay ahead. After some fumbling around in the dark and a little god awful oatmeal, we geared up and set out around 4:30.
The first hour or so trudging up snow dome was largely uneventful, but the views north of Adams, Rainier, and St, Helens never disappointed. The sunrise was a sight to behold....Leaning into the 30+ mph winds, we eventually arrived at the crux of our climb.
Looking up at Anderson and Horseshoe Rocks the day before I was struck by the breadth of the bergshrunds beneath each. As we approached Anderson, I saw a boot path angling up the edge of a snow bridge and on up along the rocks. On this day anyways, the snow was pretty soft, but I followed the tracks. Within only a couple steps in, my ice axe and arm dropped into a chasm. Down climb time. So we then dropped below and to the left, and found a more direct line onto the rotten rocky outcropping. This was steeper than I envisioned, and onboard a cornucopia of crumbly rock, gravel and thin ice...the bergshrund's maw awaited below.....protecting it seemed impossible, so my partner and I pushed through as fast as we could, myself trying hard not to dislodge any of the multitude of rotten, sulphur stained soccer balls onto my partner's head below.
After a harrowing little bit there, we pushed on towards Horseshoe Rock. In my mind the specter of a downclimb back through that on this quickly warming morning was not an option. So I really hoped that a snowbridge might emerge upon closer look, that I had not seen from below.
To our good fortune, there was...although I can't say for how much longer. That thing is getting thin and saggy. We belayed each other across, but really hoped beyond hope it held, at least for two sorry ass climbers trying to squeeze in a little more adventure before the big 4th of July holiday! And fortunately it did...
From there, it was a steep 50 degree stair-step towards Cathedral Ridge and its 'gale winds'...but lest we rest easy we were in for more surprises.
Oh yes, I hadn't recalled there being crevasses along the side of Horseshoe, but indeed there's something lurking underneath - a moat perhaps?....anyhow,I plunged knee deep into something....the darkness below I was unwilling to look at for very long. We did top out though on Cathedral, and while the winds were fierce, we made our way up Queens Chair and to a rather adrenaline charged cross of the summit ridge.
We had the top to ourselves today at approximately 9AM. A few folks were coming up Mazama Chute....one carrying an American Flag of all things, but when you climb Hood on 4th of July weekend I guess nothing is unexpected.
The snow conditions on the southwest side of the mountain were much better....firm and solid, unlike the mushy stuff already presenting itself on the upper Sunshine. Rockfall and icefall were nonexistent. I really don't know that I'd recommend Sunshine anymore this season, unless you get up there on subfreezing day, because those bridges are getting awfully thin. Global warming has done a number on the Eliot Glacier in general I'd say, but that's a topic for another board I'm sure.
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Yup, it's Mazama Chute. Hey, so any word on condition of Pearly Gates? Heading up Sunshine Route Sat night.....thinking about the downclimb on Southside. Assuming freeze level was pretty high....any rockfall or icefall issues? Thanks,and nice job.
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That picture of I-Rock and the saddle is stunning.....wow.
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Hey Atomnic, Well this is cooly strange; I was watching your video and it just occurred to me the guy topping out on the summit ridge looked familiar...it's me! (in the orange jacket, red helmet)
That was cool....I recall seeing you silhouetted on that rise with the sun behind you, and was gonna take a pic, but you moved too fast. What a great morning that was!
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Excellent! Nice work guys.....good stuff.
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Yeah, the gates seem to have reverted back to their pre-2005 or so good naturedness.....curious if this is a long term change or not...the hogsback may have shifted some too, so perhaps the 'old chute' will be soon living up to its 1930s era name again, we'll see.
I climbed up the old chute last Sat, and down the left gate....as Water says, it's pretty easy. There's even a big snow berm at the base, protecting the run out of a potential fall.
I've climbed Hood every year at least a couple times since 1998, and this may be one of the finest condition years I've seen in quite some time.
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Nice....enjoyed that little distraction form work today! Great pics.
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Nice job....enjoyed that!
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Nice! Did you give any thought to tackling the 'Black Beast of the Cascades' (North Sister) while you were there?
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I enjoyed this....thanks for posting your report and cool pics.
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Nice job! .....I was over on Wy East the same morning, and can vouch to the crazy number of people on south-side Saturday. By the time we got up top they were mostly gone, fortunately. Reid Headwall's on my list....any more pics?
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Trip: Mt. Hood - Wy East
Date: 5/2/2015
Trip Report:
This route has captured my interest for years, but for whatever reason it had eluded me. Friday night we took care of business on the ol' Wy East or rather she took care of us. The weather was near perfect...light winds out of the west, decent freeze level, and a near full moon.
We got our gear together at the climbers' cave around midnight, grateful to know that on this night we'd not have to deal with the Mazama hordes that had already congregated for very long.
After the usual monotonous slog to the top of Palmer we made our way up and to the east. Crossing the White River glacier had stymied previous attempts of this route, so this time we were determined to find the crossing. 9,400 feet is the magic number according to Jeff Thomas, so we went with that. Sure enough, at around 9,500 feet there was a slight ramp down that afforded us a pretty uneventful passage above the crevasse fields below. We roped up and made our way down and cross....
The first of many things I underestimated about this route was at hand. The slog up the head of Newton Clark Glacier was seemingly endless, with slopes steepening gradually. The recent avalanche debris fields below and all around were disconcerting. Hence we tried to keep it moving, as by now the sun was gaining strength. After what seemed like an eternity we reached the top of Steel Cliffs and were granted a birds eye view of some of the aforementioned Mazama hordes strewn about the Hogsback.
A short time later we got our first look at the summit mass and 'crux' of the climb. The traverse across the col was narrow and exposed, but snow was soft. The 'fun' was about to begin...
I led us up the first section of the upper ridge. From a distance it looked real straight forward, but as I got closer I could tell the 'snow' was mostly dirty, rotten rock-encrusted ice that was difficult to get much of a purchase on. What's more, there's a short, step-down traverse which we had to stoop down into as a bulge of rock/ice protruded out at the start. My first attempt to kick in a step ended in a small explosion of ice shards....after a bit I was across and up and over the rib there, giving me a closer look at the snow gullies to the summit ridge. Here the snow was softer and more agreeable to at least some sort of protection.
At this point I made a mistake...I took an immediate left turn and headed up what I thought was the steep gully to the summit rim. Of course now I realize there's another traverse there to access the 'second' and correct gully. I had to make a harrowing down climb of the dead end icy chute to make the traverse over.
So if you haven't climbed this route, but decide to, mind you don't make my same mistake...
This traverse is pretty exposed, and was also really icy. Once in the gully proper the snow was ridiculously soft; we post-holed our way across and up the final pitch. I determinedly tried to block out the specter of an avalanche in such a vulnerable spot. Later, over beers, my partners admitted the same...
But we did top out over the summit rim, and made the weary, slightly hypoxic trudge over to the true summit. By this time most the people were gone, and we had it to ourselves. The descent was uneventful; the conditions in the crater were good for how relatively late in the day it was.
Overall it was a great climb and one we'll talk about for quite some time. I have to think that in different seasons and or conditions it would be easier, but it might be a while before I find that out.
Gear Notes:
rope, pickets, two axes, Big Dad jerky
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Awesome! Enjoyed seeing that. Had intended to go for Wy East Thurs night, but alas, work prevented it, so will live vicariously through some of these reports for now.
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Went up yesterday and summited for the summer sunrise. Everyone was ditching the old chute and the Mazama chute is in business. I'd take the Mazama over the old chute. The "catwalk" is sketchy this year and very exposed. I'll be posting a trip report here later today
The 'catwalk' is narrow every year.....and exposed. Maybe just surprising to those new to it? The rockfall is what scares me about climbing this late in the season.
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Reading all these late season trip reports up Hogsback reminds me why winter/early Spring climbs are best on Hood! Yikes.....at very least climb midweek.
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Thanks for sharing, man.....that looks fun. I was up on Cooper Spur last week, and I kept looking over at Sunshine, thinking that one would be next for me.The bergshrund crossing sounds quite exciting right now.
I love the beauty and relative solitude of the north side!
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I haven't heard anything yet about identity. I can say that I climbed Cooper Spur yesterday morning early with a buddy, and it was already really soft, on the east side at least, shortly after sun up.
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Yeah, I went up last weekend, and it was pretty crowded up there. The Pearly Gates were attempted by some groups, but then aborted, far as I could tell. A couple Mazama groups tied up in there in big numbers; never understand that. When I went through the gates in January they were, in my opinion, pretty gnarly....but fun.
I went up the Mazama Chute, just to right of Old Chute....a fun way to change it up slightly. Conditions made for easy, albeit steep and firm, conditions.
Next weekend or best weather window, gonna head up Cooper Spur and go up and over.
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Thanks for the report! Yup, I was up there last Monday (MLK Day) and went through the gates.....was really sketchy imo; we didn't have any protection (in hindsight a real blunder...); thought about down-climbing out of there, but realized it was safer to get on through it to the top at that point.
And yeah I was thinking the same thing looking at Cooper Spur....looks to be in really nice shape.
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Wow, nice report! Those are some fantastic pictures. I was up there with a buddy that same night/morning, although a few hours earlier, and went through the Pearly Gates. Agreed, conditions great for climbing; was one of nicest summits I've ever experienced.... here's a shot in the ice chute...
Middle Sister Conditions?
in Oregon Cascades
Posted
Well, I was there on August 15this thereabouts, and it was a pretty obvious ridge of consolidated snow the whole way.....and even getting onto the glacier was really easy. Don't get on at the bottom of it.....take the rocky trail as far up as you can get, then drop down to your left onto the glacier.
And yeah, if it is awful, you could skirt around it up to the saddle, but that looked a lot longer, and really nasty.