mittens

Hi all-- I am planning a winter ascent up Mt. Hood with a group of friends and need some advice! We all have some experience with travel on glaciated terrain, ice field whiteout navigation, crevasse rescue, and rope travel etc. in Alaska. We want to practice our mountaineering skills. Also if you have any favorite Mt. Hood backcountry ski spots, I would love to hear about those as well! What route recommendations do you have? How much of the route can I skin up? What is the best month to practice these skills on Mt. Hood? What are other considerations you think are important? Thanks!