[TR] Mt Hood - Sunshine from Timberline 03/19/2020

[adventure43]

Trip: Mt Hood - Sunshine from Timberline

Trip Date: 03/19/2020

Trip Report:

~33 F, clear and no wind to start. Only a few gusts heading up to Palmer. Even though it was forecast to be 14 F at night on the summit and fairly cold below, the puffy stayed in the pack. So nice not having 20+ MPH winds, first time for me this year. The traverse over was about expected, crappy but not horrible with a good amount of foot wrenching and wondering how much longer I’ll do these kinds of routes. The foot and a half of unconsolidated snow on part of the Newton Clark was concerning. Instead of following the normal climbing route up to the Spur I stayed a bit lower. This worked out fine, the climb up to the spur wasn’t too steep.

Found the approximate spot to start the downclimb to the Eliot, https://imgur.com/a/dgOh8hj, that I’d spied on my previous Cooper Spur climb. The top part was fairly solid but became less so further down. About 30 feet from the bottom, my right foot poked through a hole. I could see a rock and a little bit of black down there – not horrible but not good either. Got the leg out and put knees and feet above the snow and froggied down the rest.

My original plan was to head up the left side and cross the Eliot on the top shelf above the ice fall. Given that there was a bunch of unconsolidated snow on Newton Clark and I’d never crossed the Eliot, I decided to stay low and headed toward the lower ski circumnavigation route. To my surprise, the Eliot seemed mostly featureless and safe – yay. I altered my course a bit and just headed mostly straight across and up which took me to the ski route not far below the Sunshine route.

Caned from there all the way up to below Anderson Rock. There looked to be a small bergschrund on the left below Snowdome but I didn’t investigate.

Anderson Rock was guarded by a mess of small bergschrunds. I got up the first one and had to search to get over the second. Someone else was up there previously but I only saw their steps heading back from where I came. The second one was worse / sketchier. Climbing through the rocks and ice was fun but definitely not something for a solo beginner.

The bergschrund below Horseshoe rock, at first glance, looked like it went from the Headwall all the way over to Cathedral. I figured I may as well get closer and to my surprise, just to the left of a big snow wall / formation, there was a small decent ramp that led directly up through Horseshoe Rock. The ramp was short, 10 feet probably but the climbing above it was challenging. Earlier in the year I accidentally did the Reid Headwall and popped out above the West Crater Rim route. That was challenging, but this section was harder, maybe not quite as steep but there was no place to rest. 

Thanks to all the climbers that have put in the boot pack from above the Queen’s chair to the summit ridge. So much easier than post hole-ing through the unconsolidated snow on the right or me doing a crappy job of navigating through the ice on the left.

https://imgur.com/gallery/LkUPX3C 

8:50 PM Climber's Lot
10:45 PM Top of Palmer
12:00 AM On a ridge past White River Canyon
3:00 AM Start heading down to Eliot Glacier from Cooper Spur
4:45 AM At intersection of the ski circumnavigation and Sunshine route
6:20 AM Below Anderson Rock
7:15 AM Above Anderson Rock
8:00 AM Start up ramp over bergschrund on Horseshoe Rock
8:50 AM Over Horseshoe Rock
9:50 AM Summit ridge
10:20 AM Summit
1:40 PM Car
 

Gear Notes:
Helmet, axe, 2 tools, crampons

Approach Notes:
Crappy but not horrible

[ScaredSilly]

Nice, gotta love early morning sunshine on Sunshine. I have traversed around a couple of times but after doing a route and having a vehicle at Cloud Cap. I have always found it to be enjoyable.

Edited March 21, 2020 by ScaredSilly

[Nolan E Arson]

Good job. I’m with you—everything on Hood is approachable from Timberline.