Mt. Hood South Side

[PLC]

Hey, I'm going to be taking a complete newbie up the south side route on Hood in a couple weeks (probably May 31st or June 1st). I was wondering if we really need to leave before dawn; ie, is rockfall a serious consideration on this route?

 

I'd much rather leave later in the day to avoid the crowds if at all possible.

 

For reference, I took this newbie on his first hike ever last weekend up St. Helens; we left the trailhead around 12:30pm and were back in the car by 7pm. On a day when about 200 people summited, we had the entire mountain to ourselves for the last 3 hours of the climb.

[sketchfest]

See this thread for current info

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB7&Number=179531&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#Post180746

[ryland_moore]

As the mountain warms up, rockfall will be a more serious consideration, as the rime ice on the Pearly Gates melts and the rock (more like choss) is not bound together by anything. If I had to choose crowds over safety, I think I would just choose crowds and go into it with the understanding that you are climbing one of the most climbed routes in the world. You can always do another route if crowds are a serious consideration. Also, if you go earlier and get to the summit at sunrise, then crowds will be lessand everything will be frozen or just above - free air freezing level could be above 11k by that time. I'd wait and see what the sund does to the route over the next 2 weeks and make your call then....

[ivan]

take the newbie up the cooper spur! ian will gladly tag along...seriously, if it was good enough for the mazama's founding climb, than it's good enough for you