Hoot

Reposted from the Mt Hood thread (I'm not sure if I went left or right but it was the way everyone else was going): I climbed the South Side route in exquisite conditions Sunday (6 May 12) from the Timberline Lodge. We went up through the Pearly Gates and down the Old Chute route. Like other teams in front of us, my two partners and I roped up for PG, but not everyone did. The crux was about 20 feet of moderately low angle ice. With a second tool and good front point crampons, I had no problems leading it and didn't feel the need to set any protection. The round trip took our group 10 hours and 49 minutes from the lodge. - Hoot

I climbed the South Side route in exquisite conditions yesterday (6 May 12) from the Timberline Lodge. We went up through the Pearly Gates and down the Old Chute route. Like other teams in front of us, my two partners and I roped up for PG, but not everyone did. The crux was about 20 feet of moderately low angle ice. With a second tool and good front point crampons, I had no problems leading it and didn't feel the need to set any protection. The round trip took our group 10 hours and 49 minutes from the lodge. Hoot

Ben - thanks so much for the very useful beta! Hoot

I'm hoping to climb Hood from the south side slopes this coming Satuday or Sunday. The weather looks a bit snowy up to this weekend. Am I correct in understanding that avalanche danger is generally low on the popular South Side route? Can anyone tell me how useful snowshoes are up to the hogsback? Hoot

ckennedy - I'm now set with partners for 5 May. Sorry for not seeing your post sooner. Hoot

I plan to fly into Portland on Saturday 5 May and would like to climb Mount Hood on Sunday 6 May or Monday 7 May (the optimal weather day) with an early start. I've climbed Rainier, The Grand Teton, and many Colorado peaks on moderate to steep snow. I climb at a moderately fast pace. The South Side Route looks reasonable to solo, but I'd prefer a partner for safety. Send me a PM if you're interested in partnering with me on 6/7 May or you're in a group that I can link up with. Hoot