NShighlander

Having been there to see it, I have to say he is one determined little guy! I was shocked when I saw the two of you coming across the caldera!

That all depends on how fast your are! We were out of the tent at 4am, but with the intent of climb Reid initially. We made the summit through the WCR in a little over 2 hours from I-Rock. These days, I would say earlier is better! Hopefully there is less shit coming down this weekend! Good luck and enjoy! Stay Safe

Again as Ivan stated, out of camp you want to head back to the east for either the WCR or South side boot pack. If you are looking to do the WCR (nice variation from the dog route) stay to the (Climbers) left of Crater Rock. From here it is a straight shot up through the obvious gully to the old chute. you will be on the left side of the fumaroles and hogsback. Other wise out of camp head east around the bottom of Crater rock until you hook up with the others heading to the Hogsback. Here are two photos, first is a shot looking up WCR route, through the gully with the Old Chute in the background. Second is the nice view of the hogs back you get once you clear the fumaroles!

That's one of those Frozen Poo's that Ivan mentioned! ;-) We camped at the saddle with the intention of climbing Reid, there was way to much ice action for our liking so we ended up doing WCR instead! That shot is from our traverse back to camp after coming down off the Hogsback!

Hey Guys, Saw the comments about I-Rock. Camped out there Friday night and it was sweetness. Like Ivan says careful where you get your snow from! Here are some images from the Rock.

This was a great trip! Lots of interesting adventures were had including the three dents that were put in my car from the nasty hail storm while driving south of Grants Pass! Still worth it though! Here are some photos of the trip!

Sounds like a great suggestion. I'll give it a try! Thanks for the feedback

I was wearing gator's so it is one of two things. 1. Water made it through 2. it was hot as hell and I was sweating buckets! in your thought there is no other water proofing the goretex layer needs?

I just got a pair of La Sportiva Trango's and tried them out on Hood this weekend. One concern I have for the boots is the waterproofing! Other than that, they worked great! Has anyone out there done any additional waterproofing to yours?

Thanks for the beta Irish Guy! Hopefully things hold solid for a month or so!

Nice work! Wow, I've read and seen images of the snow conditions (or lack of!!!) down there! Seems to be the complete opposite, here! I am planning on a trip down near the end of June to do the West Face Gully, any thoughts on what the conditions might be like based on what you saw? Thanks

Photoshop works fine if you have the patients to work with it. Autostitch also is a good way to go. To take a high qual pana image you really need to use a tripod unless you are over shooting the frame of the image and intend on cropping your image after the stitching process. Most newer cameras have a pana setting that allows you to perform most of the alignment of the next shot in the camera with an overlay. Check your camera, unless you are lugging a DSLR up the mountain it should have this feature. One last tip, if you are attempting to shoot a pana, be careful if you are using auto exposure settings on your camera. Each shot will come out with a different appearance and need to be adjusted properly in order to be stitched together. Great Shots BTW!!!

Thanks Kris for the leadership! Actually I didn't dislocate my knee, I was just playing the card hoping to be carried down that nasty ridge! Can you believe they didn't fall for it! Great adventure, looking forward to the next! Couloir, thanks for the beta on the route, your name came up often on the climb!

Thanks everyone, I've got a lot of great info to work with here! Now, to go try them out! Thanks for all the help!

Thanks for the feedback, I think I may try and go for a pair of the newer (non plastics) and see how they fit. Most of my climbing will be cascade climbs. The one thing I am worried about is keeping my feet dry! (heard some good and bad about the boots listed below) I have had two really bad experiences with Plastics, with my last rendering me usless for over a week! I am thinking of trying the Garmont Tower GTX La Sportiva Trango S Evo GTX Scarpa Triolet GTX Any others I might think of trying? Thanks again!

Hi, I am looking into buying a pair of alpine boots (since I've had really bad luck renting lately) I am looking for recommendations on boots. What is the consensus... do people still like plastic boots even though they seem to be going out of style with manufactures not making them anymore or Are people embracing the new soft boots for northern cascade climbs. I'd like to hear peoples experience and opinions! Thanks for the help

A day removed from boot hell and I am still bitter at who ever designed those Asolo boots! Saying that they SUCK is a huge under statement! That said though, Monday morning was one of those mornings that don't come along very often! As Kris and Mark made an attempt on the summit, I hobbled around taking photos from the base of the mountain in pristine conditions! If you gotta have an up side to a trip, this is the way to have it! The Adams Glacier looks awesome BTW! If interested, check out a bunch of photos and other ramblings at http://homepage.mac.com/maclean/Adams/index.html

Does anyone have any recommendations for getting to Killen Creek TH from Portland? Which way is better/shorter, to drive to Randle then south from there or to cross over the columbia at White Salmon then go north? There's been a lot of talk about road conditions lately, anyone have any updated info about getting to the TH? Thanks

Jport, sorry not info ya, but I'd be interested in your TR after this weekend. We are going to be heading up in two weeks on the same route. Good luck and be safe.

I would just like to add a comment about this trip, for as calf bustin and mind numbing this climb was, it was also the most rewarding and awe inspiring sights I have ever seen. It's impossible to come away from this without looking at Hoodin a new light now! Kris great job leading, since the conditions were not ideal and several tricky decisions were needed to be made in choosing our route! All in all, a great day, even if two days later, my legs are still trying to remind me of the pain and torture we went through! here are a few more photos