[TR] Mt hood mazama chute up, old chute down. - 7/8/2017

[Highimphilip]

Trip: Mt hood mazama chute up, old chute down. -

 

Date: 7/8/2017

 

Trip Report:

7/8/17, was a nice day to climb, perfect weather still lots of snow for mid july on hood. I left early around 1230am, took my time. Climbed up Mazama chute to summit. Summit around 645am, took in the sightseeing. Only 3 of us on the summit on a Saturday on Mt Hood at the time. Climbed across the summit ridge and down the old chute. Back at car around 1030am.

 

 

[Gabe O.]

Sounds like a quiet day up there.

 

One question, I thought the 'Old Chute' and the 'Mazama Chute' were the different names for the same thing.

 

This seems to corroborate that but who knows, they could mistaken as well...

 

Can anyone clear this up?

[Water]

quiet because it is past prime climbing time. But good job, better than sitting on my duff getting fat, that's for sure. Always nice to get out.

 

I think I can clarify. The names get used interchangeably. Think of the Old Chute as the parent and the Mazama Chute as the child, as far as origin. Then entire slope that leads up to the summit ridge is the old Chute. But when you're 150feet or so from the top you can veer to the (climber's right) and climb a variation which I believe is the Mazama chute. The old chute tops out at a nadir of the summit ridge, where you must go up a few feet in either direction (towards queen's chair or towards summit). The Mazama chute I think tops out to avoid the little cat-walk section that you do to get to the top of the old chute terminus.

 

Maybe...I tried. Maybe I'm wrong. Hopefully I didn't muddle it more.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2017 by Water

[diepj]

I agree 100% with Water.

 

I don't consider them different routes but refer to one or the other to specify which specific way I came to the summit ridge or slopes.

[Highimphilip]

Water summed it up good. it is about the end of the climbing season. not much falling up their at the time but I was off the summit before the sun was even over the horizon on the south side of the mountain 730am or so. I would say about a week to week and a half left to climb hood and that's it. climbing season I feel is a little later this year due to the amount of snow.

 

 

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1119574

 

anyways, this guy posted some pictures of the two routes about 3 pictures down. they variation is the last 150 feet.

 

mazama chute= a little steeper, I feel but no ridge.

 

old chute= not quite as steep but still fairly steep but ridgeline. Ridgeline was defiantly narrow but not too bad. ive seen pictures of it worst than when i went on it. no exposed rocks on ridgeline still so that was good.

 

Not nearly as icey as when he went up. I

think the freezing level was well over 12000 feet.

 

[Gabe O.]

Cool thanks for clearing that up, now I wonder which route I even took up my only time up the 'old chute'. Seems like I may have actually been in the Mazama chute as I don't remember much of any ridge traverse/knife edge to get to the summit from the top out.

[caverpilot]

I've researched this question and although all evidence supports Water's position, I've never actually seen an "historic" document that states this, only digital photos that have been annotated. But I agree:

 

Lookers left to lookers right:

Old Chute: (wide at the top, requires knife-edge traverse; skiable)

Mazama Chute: (narrow chute, no knife edge, not wide enough to ski, at least not without pointing it, mabye 60 feet or so from the "base")

Pearly Gates: What used to be the "standard" route, leading from directly above the Hogsback/Bergschrund (skiable back in 2003 when I first climbed Hood; a pesky 6ish foot ice step has/had persisted in recent years; wide, and leads directly to summit without any lateral traversing)

[diepj]

A quick point to add - use caution relating the routes to the hogsback, or interpreting descriptions that do. The hogs back has at times pointed directly into the pearly gates and has also at times shifted well over toward the base of the old chute routes. It seems to commonly split the difference although the last couple years have trended toward the pearly gates.