Makalu7

Hi...well I'm not comfortable starting this post with an "appeal to authority", but maybe just a snippet is called for. I've climbed Hood and many of the other Cascade Range stratovolcanoes in winter, summitted Hood 26 times including Cooper Spur and the Elliot Glacier headwall...and after reading the article in the Dallas, TX news that referred to one of the Crag Rats being the youngest person on record to do Hood I had to smile a bit because I first climbed it when I was 7. I'm an old man now and my climbing days are long behind me but it was my sole passion for many decades. One time I was stranded at 11000' on the Emmons-Winthrop in a blizzard in February for 3 days and I want to give my two cents worth here in the hopes that it will save lives in the future. Cent #1 Be flexible. If you want to bag a difficult route above timberline wait for optimum weather conditions. If you must climb at a set date then be flexible enough to pick an easier route. Nasty weather can make even the "guide routes" a challenge for the most experienced and best equipped. Cent #2 Prepare for the worst. When we climbed in winter with iffy weather forecasts we always packed a 5-7 day supply of food and fuel and a deck of cards and we expected to use it. If you can't carry the extra 15-20 pounds that this requires up the chosen route then don't go. The mountain will wait. I didn't always follow my own advice to the letter back then and that's what led to the blizzard event. I was very fortunate to have survived that and learn somethings from it and gained a whole new level of respect for the power of Mother Nature. My heart goes out to the friends and family of those who aren't as fortunate. Peace.