Suffer-fest near the Coe Icefall - N. side Hood.

[Know_Fear]

Mark McClure and I climbed a new (old?) line to the left of the Coe

icefall on Sunday. The grade is approximately III, two pitches of

WI3 plus 400-600 feet of sustained steep snow and ice. It was a

classic suffer-fest given the conditions. The details follow.

 

We planned to link the Coe Icefall with Cathedral Ridge to the summit,

then descend the south side. We hoped the north side would be wind

swept so we didn't bring skis, or snow shoes. It took 7 hours to slog

from the Cooper Spur snow park (the gate was locked) to the snout of

the Coe icefall. We post-holed through deep snow above Cloudcap,

while crossing the Elliot Glacier, and below Snow Dome.

 

The area below the Coe icefall was littered with avalanche debris and

rocks. A line up the icefall I'd climbed last June was obliterated

by glacier creep, and filled with deep snow. Our attention turned to

several water ice filled gullies in the east morrain. The Coe icefall

is situated in a small circ. The the east "morrain" is more accurately

described as basalt cliffs layered with steep snow fields.

 

We decided to climb the second gully from the end nearest the icefall.

We guessed it would be about WI3. P.S. the other gullies looked more

difficult, but somewhat fatter.

 

The first pitch was WI3. The direct finish looked to be WI4+. However,

our belay anchor was a questionable Specter and 2 ice tools (we didn't

bring rock gear, and only had 4 screws). We traversed right to a second

pitch of WI3. That took us to the top of the 1st cliff band, and the

bottom of a steep snow field. We estimated that snow field to be 500

feet tall.

 

We simul-climbed three sections of steep, very hard snow and ice.

We stayed to the right side of the snow field in a shallow gully in

order to avoid a thick layer of unconsolidated snow. The snow field

had several avi crowns and apparently had slid recently. Spin drift

poured down on us. It seemed as though I climbed for an hour with my

eyes closed - placing one tool after another. Protection was ice screws

in frozen snow/ice (snice). Pickets were useless.

 

After several hours of calf pumping front pointing, questionable

anchors, and suffocating spin drift we emerged from the gully. We

were near the top right side of Snow Dome. The wind was howling,

and clouds were wrapping around the mountain from the west. It was

obvious that we would have to descend the north side.

 

By the time we reached the east morrain of the Elliot, visibility was poor

and the wind was blowing 50-60 mph. We were knocked on our asses

several times. We'd slept about 3 hours Sat night, and now were totally

"out of gas." There was no shelter to eat and drink until we reached

treeline. We arrived at the car 15.5 hours after we'd left. We both

felt it was great fun, and totally worth the effort. Not to mention

better than a good day at work.

 

Edited March 3, 2003 by Know_Fear

[rbw1966]

Sounds like fun. I almost went over that way last weekend myself. Maybe this coming weekend. If you had it to do over again woul dyou ski to the base?

[Know_Fear]

If you don't plan to go over the top - yes skis or snow shoes would shave a

couple of hours. The trail up to the A-frame was dirt near the snow park,

but there's OK snow about 1 mile up. You can leave skis at the base of

Snow Dome and make a loop - up the Coe, down Snow Dome.

 

P.S. the ice near in the upper east morrain of Elliot looked really fat. I don't

know how difficult it is. I'd love to hear about it.

[rbw1966]

Thats what I was thinking. Round trip from snowdome but like you I figured there would be minimal snow for the approach. Nice to know someone else suffered that instead of me.

 

Did I meet you at Climb Max one time a few months ago talking about ice on the Coe?

[Crackman]

Nice work Chris -- making the most of the weather window. Sometimes I too wonder why such suffer-fests are fun -- but usually once it's over I've minimized it and am eager for the next one. Probably should get therapy or better yet medication

[wayne]

Nice job. Probably was "new" . I have definatly looked at those and drooled at the potenial. There can be so much ice on Hood at times. You really have to just go and see.

[MtnHigh]

Excellent TR. Suffering yet succeeding is perhaps the best experience on a mountain. Makes you feel like something more was accomplished than the usual aspects of a climb.

 

Saturday morning while on the summit I was looking down the N an NE faces and saw two big slide debris fields, one on the Coe and the other one on the Elliot.

 

[texplorer]

That McClure dude is sketchy! Nice job guys, in classic NW sufferfest style.

[Billy]

Nice job you guys. I have seen that "east moraine of the coe" in the fall before and there is a lot of potential. That sounds like a great route. I think sometimes those routes come in in Nov/Dec when its cold enough. There is a goldmine in there.