B Deleted_Beck

Partner NOT acquired.... still looking. Would love to do north face -Ben 503-410-4090 ETA - I'd also be perfectly content clipping into your rope for the trek across the Fig Newton, then going our separate ways at the spur. I have no problem soloing, I just don't want the glacier to eat me. Anybody heading out to Coopspur? I'm fast and strong- won't hold you down at all.

ETA - Partner acquired... thanks -Ben

I hope your day got better.

It's REALLY hard to quantify relative danger levels when talking about avalanche... but there is some risk, even on the south side. The east side of Hogsback is generally very loaded- I'm not aware of it ever sliding on a climber, but it's sort of a classic loaded lee slope.. freaks me out, sometimes. The other area, which HAS actually slid and killed climbers, is the snow field leading up to the chutes to the left of Pearly Gates, where 99% of Hood climbers are going up these days. Right now, it's at almost perfect slide angle- 38*, and is heavily loaded and there will be a poor bond between the sun-crusted snow of this weekend's bake and the snow that's going to dump on it all week. If the forecast is correct, and it's to be clear and sunny on Sat/Sun, that'll be classic slide conditions by mid-morning as well. A spot where I personally turned around this weekend was the ramp leading up to Pearly Gates... after failing to gain a different route, in my stubborn refusal to let the mountain "win," I descended 1,200' and re-climbed the mountain via the south side on Saturday- didnt get to the Gates till about noon, and I can't believe I or the snow did not slide before I could get turned around. Was just crumbling beneath me and breaking off in classic wet-slab fashion. SO..... proceed with caution. Alpine starts, swift climbing, down before the snow gets soft. We're not quite out of the woods yet, this season.

It just comes and goes this time of year, Tony. You won't have any idea what the weather is gonna do till 5 days before, and it's still only a little better than 50/50 odds till a day or two before. Just have to take it day-by-day. I would think, given a two-week schedule window, you should get a weather window too, so long as you can keep the schedule flexible. Good luck!

OP edited to reflect a new reality

I get a lot of comments about basketball Being all-natural/organic/free-range type granola eaters, but refusing to finance anything, we drive our big, dented, rusty, stinky, loud, carbon-factory suburban to places where people simply cannot contain their shock and even disgust when my long haired, itty bitty country girl wife jumps down with a pregnant belly almost bigger than the rest of her, followed by an endless line of little blonde heads. It's cool... Just makes me smile, to know I gave somebody the opportunity to have an emotion. :-D

That was actually an honest question

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the federal gov in charge of natl forests and access thereof?

You wouldn't have caught me up there Sat or Sun nights, OP. But avy risk assessment is all about not taking chances. When it's "considerable" up there, they recommend staying off avy fields... you could probably walk across an unstable field 100 times, and it'd only slide on the 100th time. But are 1:100 odds of dying worth it to climb your home mountain? Also, you got a late start and summitted late.... Respectable car-to-summit time, but it's better to summit about dawn and be out of the steep sections by the time the sun starts to bake them, in general. Not being heavily critical... just lending my own thoughts to the question. Good job getting up... first time to the top?

Anybody get on the west side this weekend? Looking to do Reid... probably gonna have to solo it... wondering if it's still all closed up over there...?

Howdy. Looking to do Reid Headwall tonight. Long version- all the way to the upper crater rim- listed as straight up 14 in Oregon High. -Ben 503-410-409zero

One of the very few only things my father ever taught me, so he must have thought it was pretty important- "Forget flowers and candies and shit... liquor is quicker. Every time." At 8, I didn't really understand why anyone would ever want "inside a girl's pants," but it did come in handy later. Thanks, Pah!

Thank God

Thanks for the replies... I guess it's probably time to start teaching Ethan how to belay

Between 9,500-10,500' all weekend !

Quotes on partner just to differentiate between the little top-rope tag-alongs and people who you actually want to go tackle routes of consequence with. 9... wow! ATC or Grigri? You know, I guess I might trust my oldest with a grigri... in the gym.

Howdy I have 4 little boys, and a 5th due in July. As you can expect with any climbing father of little boys, I'm extremely impatient for them to hurry up and get big enough to get off top-rope and start belaying me. Multi trad, alpine... man climbing. What age did you trust your kid to belay your lead? When did they go from little tag-alongs to full on climbing PARTNERS? My oldest is about to turn 8... I'm guessing I'll probably have another 4-5 years before I can trust my life to his belay, but it would be interesting to know if anybody's managed to do it sooner. Thanks -Ben

I was like "Matt's name is Chris?" :-P Great pics, Matt.. looked windy..? I still haven't done anything on that side- gotta change that, but this weekend looks like a wet-slab/slushfest..

We ended up turning around about 30 minutes later, ourselves. Our route was out, there was colossal crap tumbling down everywhere, and the 2" chickenheads over a 3" crust over unconsolidated powder led us to believe the Chute would be lame climbing. That, and having run into two different guys who'd each taken magic-mountain rides. Glad you suffered no lasting harm.

How'd you figure out what size they are, Bill??

What was the snow all like? Did you climb back on the 7th?

erf.. I got duped.

Me and my bro Dan ran into you on the lower Coleman.. we were the doods going to check out DKH. How's the eye?? Me, shortly after you continued on. http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/301492_2344211496220_1577982341_2301556_1565186043_n.jpg

Indeed... weather is not looking friendly for climbing next weekend. But conditions can change quite a bit from forecast in a week, 'roun hur. I would plan to not climb, and I would plan to not climb if conditions are questionable- that's how we get people dying up there every year. www.nwac.us for avy conditions and I'm partial to www.mountain-forecast.com for weather. Otherwise, if weather is suppose to be good, you can find the mountain in any sort of condition- bottomless powder to solid crust, or anything in between... just depends on what's been going on the previous week. Good luck... be safe!