Maine-iac

Well....since i am a poor college student, i am a combination of both. I have an AT set up with old alpine boots, which work as long as i don't blister. But when i don't take the skis along, i still have to use the alpine boots, because i only have those and a pair of hiking boots (3 season boots). I am also in the situation where i have to rent a sleeping bag whenever i want to go out, which blows (alot of the time i can borrow one for free). So that puts me in a situation where i have to choose if i want to buy a nice pair of winter climbing boots, or a sleeping bag....

If anybody in the Eugene area wants to make a run at Hood, or any peaks for that matter, i would love a PM. Even though i was in the wilderness humping my pack a little more than 24 hours ago, i am already bored with city life. I gotta get back out there... Also, again in the Eugene area, if anybody wants a training partner for these rainy months i am down.

Well as i am sure you all know, if you looked at the weather reports. It was a fine day up there...... about 150 yards of visibility on sunday, and constant snow fall. Decided it wasnt worth trying to hunker down on sunday night, so we came home. It sounded like there were some high winds there today, Timberline lifts were closed for winds. Guess i will just have to get back up there.

Thank you ivan, that is the type of info that i was looking for. Ill have either a TR or some pics posted come tuesday or wednesday next week.

Hey, I am planning on getting out on the north face of Hood this coming weekend, sunshine route. And i am looking for a little advice, or for someone to confirm my thoughts...(but without sarcasm, my life depends on it guys...). I am planning on skinning as far as i can before switching out to crampons, so my question is, do you think i will be able to make that transition smoothly, i.e. i wont be post-holing with my crampons. Or do you think there will be deep snow all the way up to the summit. Any info would be helpful.

5 in the backcountry and 2 at resorts. Would have had a lovely 10 day holiday in early december, but it was right after all of that rain that we got. So i went climbing In Bishop CA. -East cost conditions build character. We wont be the ones complaining about hard snow, or chilly temps.

Eugene also has the Columns, its small but in town. Also the Callahans (sp?) in Roseburg is closer than smith.

WOW! those trees must have come down in the last month or so, i was up there sometime in October, and there were only a few trees down over the trail. You could always just put a waypoint on a GPS at your car, and go straight up the mountain...haha...im sure that would be a blast......

There are lots of options around for both backcountry skiing, and for shelter use. There are a few shelters up by Willamette pass (Maiden Peak), the range from 3 wall shelters, to full on shelters with wood stoves. As for skiing road access is best in the southern part of the state, Crater Lake, Bailey, Thieslen, and McGloughlin, And Diamond Peak (depending on road access). If you are in Eugene still, you should look into the Outdoor Program at the University, there should be lots of skiing or snowshoeing trips going out once school starts back up.

The bevis and buthead picture made me understand, well done. hahaha

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Hey Blurpy, If you saw two college aged skiers trying to ski that trail with massive packs, then it probably was us. Walking was much faster then trying to ski that trail. But at least we got first tracks at the Cooper Spur Ski resort. Sparverius, too bad you didnt get on the actual head wall, we watched you guys attempting a few things. The snow was pretty crummy for skiing down like we planned. We only made it to about 8000ft on the start of the Sunshine route, when we realized that we too were not going to make it. We want to go back, and pitch a tent at that spot and then try it again.

Hey, me and a buddy attempted the Sunshine route on friday, but we hadnt seen or looked at pics of crossing the Eliot, so that took way longer than we thought it would, so we ran out of time, and stopped early. Here is a link so that you can see what things are like. There is a very small snow base, a 2ft picket didnt go all the way in because it hit the ground, and the skiing isnt fantastic. http://oregon.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2131762&l=a8be5&id=11519689 Hope that provides some good info.

It is a very Courageous thought, and one i am sure your son will look back on with fond memories when he is older. Asides from what everybody has already said, your son being the main priority and proper fitness, the south side of Hood Is typically a strenuous hike up until the Hogs Back. The real issues come when you are approaching the Pearly Gates (or wherever the route happens to be that year), this is where people tend to get backed up, and rock/ice fall is an issue. One idea, is being the first group on the mountain (10pm start time..) and having another party member belay you, while anchored in, as you climb the pearly gates. I was there in early spring, and didnt summit due to many many other people waiting in line to go through the gates, so there can be traffic jams. Like Letsroll said, you should check out the UOOP, i am an active member with them, and there are always hikes going out. I know that personally i will be doing winter and spring trips through them, and it is a good way, relatively cheap, to get out and into the mountains. Also Spencers Butte is a good local place just to put in some miles while warring a pack. Best of luck, and hope to either see you on some OP trips, or hear that you made a successful climb of Hood.

injuries blow, i tweaked my hip flexor back in may, i brushed it off as a simple stain, and didnt do anything right for about a month. Meanwhile i kept training, and it kept stoping me in my tracks, i did a few weeks of PT. It is only now getting to a point where i can climb in a gym for a few hours. I have yet to try running, because i dont want to tweak it again before ski season. Just remember ICE, it works wonders. Goodluck with the shoulder.

I am also curious about a winter trip, but i was wondering what the road access was like?

I think i will actually be heading up to Hood over thanksgiving, maybe ill give Cooper Spur a go. Shuksan is high on my list of things to do, so maybe later on i will re-post my ideas. Thanks to all that are interested

Anybody seen what Cooper Spur looks like currently? I might be up that way for thanksgiving, and it looks like a superb route.

Anybody interested in doing Mt. Shuksan over Thanksgiving break. A friend and I are free from wednesday through sunday. We are looking at brining our skis, so we were looking at the North Face, or White Salmon glacier. Thanks for any interest.

We would be setting up a base camp, then doing either day trips out of it, or 3-4 day trips.

Hey everyone, I am looking to do an epic backcountry ski trip this winter, and i am wondering where the BEST snow in the US will be. I will be heading out the 2nd and 3rd week in december. I had heard some things about the Lost River Range, Sawtooths, and possibly some stuff up near Nelson BC. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone, I am looking to do an epic backcountry ski trip this winter, and i am wondering where the BEST snow in the US will be. I will be heading out the 2nd and 3rd week in december. I had heard some things about the Lost River Range, Sawtooths, and possibly some stuff up near Nelson BC. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Are you thinking about just staying on the road, or deviating off near N. Sister? I looked into getting to N. Sister but it turned out to be miles and miles of skinning, close to 10 or 12 just to the TH. A friend biked the road before it was open to cars in the spring and he said it was amazing!!!

Hey, I am also planning an attempt over Thanksgiving break. Any info about the White Salmon route? I will be expecting cravasses, but should i expect a lot of them, or hidden ones? And is there much of a trail from the road, or is it all bushwacking? I read most of the TR, but they were all from spring or summer, none really from late in the fall.

Hey all, i am planing a trip into the park in early December, i was wondering if anybody had any beta on what the skiing was like. I plan on entering the park in West Glacier, and over the next week or two trekking down towards Essex. I might think about trying to get deep into the park, but i guess that depends on the snow. This would generally be a ski touring trip, but i will be bringing alpine skis/skins and possibly some climbing gear. Any info would be a great help.